Rathlin Island
Have you ever wished that you could return to a childhood state where your biggest dilemma might be whether you needed to take a bicycle pump when going for a cycle? Dreamed of somewhere you could go where you could clear your head and make some brave decisions about your life and your priorities. Well, dotted around the coast of Ireland are many such places in the form of Ireland’s mystical Islands and one of the most wildly beautiful is Rathlin off the coast of County Antrim. So on a rare gloriously sunny summer morning I caught the quick ferry from Ballycastle, across the six mile stretch of the sea of Moyle, to Rathlin. Bikes are available for hire on the island but I took my own tried and tested bike on the ferry for a nominal charge and my own bicycle pump.
The crossing was beautifully clear and Scotland and the famous Mull of Kintyre, which are only 12 miles from Rathlin were clearly visible across the water. My accommodation for the next few days was to be the Manor House, a lovely old stone 18th Century Georgian House conveniently located a couple of minutes walk up from where the ferry docked in Church Bay. A quirky and charming building, my private attic bathroom was located across the public hallway opposite the bedroom, which made for some unexpected encounters in the middle of the night and averted eyes at breakfast in the morning.
Most buildings are congregated around the harbour in Rathlin. Besides the Manor hotel there is one bar McCuaigs, one daytime café attached to the bar and a fish ‘ chip takaway. In addition there is an engaging and industrious retired gentleman serving good coffee with fine shortbread biscuits in his garden overlooking the bay. Each day’s cycle would end with a coffee and spectaculor pre sunset views here.The Manor House stepped up to the mark every evening with wonderful candle lit dinners in the dining room. Fresh local seafood is their speciality and the hotel serves some of the best.
The island of Rathlin is L shaped, six miles across, four miles long. Its coastline is mainly a basalt and limestone cliff. Three lighthouses guard those ragged cliffs. The upside down lighthouse located beside the West Lighthouse Seabird centre, so called for it’s impressive engineering feat which sees the lighthouse clinging to the rocks. It is also a fantastic place to view bird life with puffins, kittiwakes, fulmars, guillemots and razorbills. Taking time out to admire the birds and the rare specimans of flora and fauna that the island is renowned for is part of the joy of Rathlin. On the other side of the island towards Rue lighthouse, you can watch seals basking in the sun. Perhaps you may even get to see the elusive Golden Hare. Accounts of their boxing matches match any Olympic hopefuls. The third lighthouse, East lighthouse is famous for its role in communications, for it was here in 1898 that Marconi and his assistants set up the worlds first commercial radio transmission linking Rathlin to Ballycastle.
Many tales of myth and mystery surround Rathlin, but for tales of bravery, and its bravery you want in such situations, then the most famous is of Robert the Bruce. In 1306, the Scottish King was driven from Scotland by Edward I of England and took refuge on Rathlin. While on Rathlin, he watched a spider persevere over and over to bridge a vast gap by spinning its web. Eventually the spider succeeded and Robert taking heart from the spider’s efforts, raised fresh forces and returned to Scotland to fight for his kingdom. He too, eventually succeeded and in 1314, regained the crown of Scotland.
Rathlin is a still a vibrant island, despite a population of just over a 100. Much of the island is farmed and there is a good sense of this in the cattle grids, the tractors and the hay in the fields. It’s a wonderful place to take to on foot or by bike; you can cycle the whole island barely encountering a motorised vehicle. It’s a chilled out place as one of the locals explained “You don’t need much to survive here. But all that really matters can be found on this isle.” I couldn’t agree more, for Rathlin offers the physical and psychological space to think about the important things in life and like Robert the Bruce, the courage to make changes to reveal those important things.
Sheelagh Mooney
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