Around the Antrim Coast
Today we drove 15 minutes to the Giants Causeway. Once again we were the first bus to arrive! This five mile stretch along the Antrim Coast is famous for its basalt columns. The causeway was formed by volcanic eruptions more than 60 million years ago. HOWEVER, it was actually made by a giant Ulster warrior named Finn MacCool who built a stone bridge over to the Scottish island of Staffa to check on his rival giant.
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Our next stop was the Bushmill Distillery. We sampled the new Bushmill's Honey which only contained 35% alcohol. Gushmill is the oldest licensed distillery in the world which began in 1608. Bushmill whiskey is made of water, yeast and barley and distilled 3 times.
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Our last official stop was the Dunluce Castle. On a stormy night in 1639 the kitchen of the castle fell into the sea taking the servants with it. The Countess of Antrim was fed up and moved inland. It is really a beautiful ruins and has a cave under the castle where the entrance was 5 feet tall and the exit is 100 feet tall.
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The Mermaid Restaurant was our destination for dinner tonight. The servings of food were HUGE! Back at the hotel we went to the hotel bar for a wee Guinness and Irish coffee before going to bed. |