< Back to Itineraries

Ballygally to Carrickfergus

18 NM paddle from Ballygally to Carrickfergus via The Gobbins

Downloads

	Ballygally to Carrickfergus 703.5 KB

Points of Interest

Portmuck, Isle of Muck, The Gobbins, Belfast Lough

Itinerary

Passing round Ballygally Head there is a small island with the remains of a castle’s walls, possibly built by Anglo- Normans in the early thirteenth century. There is a legend that a prince tried to keep his beautiful daughter in isolation here to prevent her from being carried off by a suitor of whom he disapproved, but the match was successfully
made despite his efforts.

The Bay of the Blackthorns, or Drains Bay in its less attractive anglicised name, has a well provisioned car park and the beach landing is opposite this at a narrow sandy break on the stony shoreline.

Blackcave Tunnel at the south end of the bay is an icon of the Antrim Coast Road. This challenging route between Larne and Ballycastle was accomplished over the years
1832-1842, engineered by William Bald and built with the labour of many glens men from the hinterland.

The views seawards down this coast, on a clear day, include the coast of north County Down and the Copeland Islands, as well as the Ayrshire and Galloway coastline of Scotland and the domed granite lump of Ailsa Craig island, breeding place of thousands of gannets.

The tall chimneys of Ballylumford Power Station mark the narrow entrance to Larne Lough and opposite is the busy harbour of Larne with its ferry links to Scotland.

Crossing Port of Larne Controlled Waters
The crossing from Larne town to Island Magee is relatively short however these are very busy waters with commercial shipping and numerous fast ferry services operating daily. As such, canoeists are advised to contact Port of Larne Control either by VHF or phone before setting off for advice on the best time and location to cross. When travelling south contact should be made on reaching
Blackcave Head, when travelling north, Barr’s Point.

An excursion into the sheltered waters of Larne Lough offers easier paddling and the seaward half of the Lough is best, as further in it narrows and extensive mudflats are exposed at low tide. On the inland hillside is the great stepped gash of the now disused Magheramourne Quarry, while the eastern profile is of the beautiful Island Magee
- a peninsula rather than an island.

Brown’s Bay and the tiny and scenic Portmuck (Muck is derived from the Irish for pig) are good beach landings with car parks and shore facilities. This coastline is a mix of chalk and basalt, but the latter dominates the coast past the headland at Portmuck where there is a strong tide race.

The Isle of Muck lies close to shore, linked at low water by a
tombolo or natural causeway. At high water – a more
sheltered channel can be taken between the island and the
mainland shore – but at low water this can either be very shallow or even dry out. On the seaward side of Muck island a very strong tide race runs – particularly at the southern end of the island and can create a steep sea even in light winds. There is a great population of cliff-nesting seabirds that can be seen on the east side of the island from April to July, and landing is discouraged on this nature reserve to prevent disturbance. There are more fulmars, kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills and some puffins south
along the rugged basalt cliffs known as The Gobbins. The remains of an adventurous Victorian-built path can be seen along the base of part of these cliffs and it is hoped
that this will be restored and re-opened again in the future.  In calm conditions, there are also several sea caves worth exploring.

The route to Carrickfergus in Belfast Lough passes under Blackhead lighthouse, linked by a coast path to the attractive seaside town of Whitehead with its colourful seafront houses and slipways at Clachan Rock (Whitehead Harbour) and County Antrim Yacht Club. The Yacht Club offers boat storage and use of selected facilities by prior
arrangement. Huge salt deposits lie below this north shore of Belfast Lough and mining has been in operation for about 150 years. Every year, half a million tonnes of rock salt,
mainly used for de-icing, is extracted from a sloping mine or adit below Kilroot and deep under the seabed.

Another power station looms at Kilroot. From here it is just a short paddle to Carrickfergus where landing can be made at the Harbour, or beyond at the Yacht Club by prior arrangement. For a small charge canoeists can also use Carrickfergus Marina amenities nearby. The Norman castle at the harbour is well worth a visit.

Crossing Belfast Lough
Although it is possible to make the crossing of Belfast Lough from almost any location along the shore, the advised crossing point for paddlers on the canoe trail is between Carrickfergus Castle and Grey Point, a distance of 3NM. This imaginary line marks the northern limit of Belfast Harbour controlled waters, within which shipping
runs predictably on course along the Victoria Channel, clearly marked by red and green light-beacons and buoys and approximately 250 metres wide at this point. The large
red and white stripped Fairway bouy marks the start of the channel. Outside of the harbour boundary shipping diverges and it becomes impossible for canoeists to predict
the course of large vessels. Canoeists are advised to contact Belfast Harbour Port Control, ideally by VHF radio Channel 12, before setting off to cross the Lough.

Getting to the Start

Head north along the A2/Coast Road from Larne and after 4 miles arrive at Ballygally. The first access point located as you approach Ballygally after Ballygally Head.