Private Half Day Winter Magic in the Antrim Glens

Sitting on the shores of Belfast Lough since 1177, this is the most impressive Norman Castle in Ireland and Great Britain. You will have the chance to enjoy this magnificent castle with a brief walk around the building and its adjoining harbour, then a short visit inside the completely intact Courtyard.

Tucked away behind the busy streets of the A2 highway leaving Carrickfergus is the celebrated Andrew Jackson Centre, celebrating the close links between County Antrim and the United States of America, through the story of Andrew Jackson, whose parents and two brothers left their thatched cottage homestead for the New World in the 1700s. Surprise yourself at the foundation of the UN Rangers in June 1942 in the small museum dedicated to the story of the US Army Elite Forces.

The first of the nine Glens of Antrim is the beautifully desolate and unique Glenarm with its rugged valleys, pastures, dry-stone walls and of course, the many thousands of our woolly friends who call this home year-round. GLENARM CASTLE is unique in that it is the only one in Northern Ireland continuously inhabited by the same family since its construction in 1659.

This enchanting seaside town has a wonderful limestone harbour and the remains of two limestone bridges that once carried the world's first narrow gauge industrial railroad. Unique stories are hidden around every corner and the harbour featured too in the Game of Thrones saga, much of which was filmed in the Glens from 2009 to 2019.

By far the most amazing of the Glens, it has earned the title of Queen of the Glens for its majesty and magnificence. Cited often by author C S Lewis (Belfast born and bred) as one of the inspirations for his Chronicles of Narnia, you will be swept away be the sheer scale of mother nature and beauty of the many waterfalls that fall from is imposing clifftops.

The authentic architecture of the coastal villages can be enjoyed at both Cushendall - they proudly call themselves 'The Heart of the Glen's, with amazing views to the ruins of Redbay Castle, the Red Arch, Agnews Field and the Curfew Tour. Then we take the upper road with wonderful views across to Glenariff, Glenann, Glencorp and, of course Glendun with its imposing 1830s stone viaduct. Cushendun lies at the mouth of the River Dun and Glendun and has unique architectural heritage that celebrates our close links with Scotland. On a clear day, Scotland is visible just 20 miles away across the Irish Sea.

Our final stop before the journey back to your accommodation. Ballycastle is famous for its ancient market day that concludes the summer each year The Auld Lammas Fair. The town itself has been voted Best Place to Live in Northern Ireland in both 2016 and 2017 in The Times/Sunday Times. Here you can browse the many quaint, family owned craft shops and art galleries before returning to base.