Ballylinny, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland

Best for National Trust

Though it does not own absolutely everything in these parts, the National Trust looms large in Co. Antrim. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Giant’s Causeway, the nearby Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge 100 feet above the Atlantic Ocean and most of the Clough Williams Ellis-designed Cushendun village, 24 miles to the east – and more. But the Trust doesn’t quite have a monopoly, and there are other sites well worth visiting; particularly the Dark Hedges, an eerily beautiful half-mile avenue of beech trees along the Bregagh Road, which featured in Game of Thrones.

Best for Coastline

The Causeway Coast has over ten beautiful and unspoilt golden sand beaches – all are Blue Flag designated or Seaside Award (dogs allowed) beaches, and all have an Excellent water quality rating in 2024. You can easily choose a different beach each day: Whitepark Bay beach, with its resident herd of cattle, Whiterocks beach just outside Portrush, or further west, the eight-mile-long glorious strand from Downhill, through Benone and on to Magilligan.

Best for a stunning scene drive

Northern Ireland's Causeway Coastal Route, notionally starting in Londonderry and ending in Belfast, is a 120-mile stretch of road hugging the spectacular Antrim coast. As you drive east and then south, on your left beach gives way to rocky outcrop gives way to craggy cliff gives way to beach, interspersed with atmospheric ruined castles and pretty villages, all the while with the mighty Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop. On your right, verdant hills and deep glens provide a different kind of sensory overload. All in all, it’s quite something.

Must visit Titanic Belfast

Belfast’s fortunes were founded on linen and, especially, shipbuilding. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the city was in effect the largest shipyard in the world; and the biggest player, by far, was Harland & Wolff – whose enduring fame rests on one particular vessel: the RMS Titanic. A purposely designed museum dedicated to the ship (and, to a lesser extent, the company that built her), the Titanic Experience is exciting, fascinating and – when you see the list of lives lost – profoundly affecting. Highly recommended.