Is Rathlin Island worth visiting?

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john_morris_uk

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Title says it all really. After being stuck in Cambeltown for several days with the strong winds we are now in Ballycastle. Very pleasant but the tour of Bushmills Distillery was underwhelming. We felt very processed and the tour guide had lost her enthusiasm and sounded bored.

However, its time to head north and Islay beckons. We were going to spend a night in Rathlin Island but can't make up our mind if its worth it. Seven distilleries on Islay might be distracting us... Any views please?
 
john_morris_uk said:
Title says it all really. After being stuck in Cambeltown for several days with the strong winds we are now in Ballycastle. Very pleasant but the tour of Bushmills Distillery was underwhelming. We felt very processed and the tour guide had lost her enthusiasm and sounded bored.

However, its time to head north and Islay beckons. We were going to spend a night in Rathlin Island but can't make up our mind if its worth it. Seven distilleries on Islay might be distracting us... Any views please?
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I went there a few years ago. Nice place; quiet, but I was there after the end of the tourist season. Good walks; excellent place if you like wild-life. The harbour is sheltered with a pontoon; only problem is that the RIB from the mainland comes booming in and only drops the throttle once it's in the harbour! Drank my first pint of proper Irish Guinness there; it really isn't the same stuff as you get in England and Scotland!

Navigation takes care; you really need to check the tidal atlas and plan carefully. Even at slack water, there are a lot of strange eddies as you come round the southern point; we were rotated be about quarter of a circle at one point. No problem to someone used to the Sounds of Jura, Corryvreckan and Luing, though.
 
Thank you. I'm not worried about the pilotage (its one of the bits of sailing that I find really interesting and enjoy.). Wel'll have a think about how much high life we actually need.

Of course the honest answer is that there are few duff choices about where is beautiful etc when cruising these waters. We are working our way up towards Skye.
 
I remember it many years ago being rather barren of trees apart from a few in the valleys. The main port of entry was unimpressive: no vernacular architecture; no monkish ruins.

Its geology is pretty unexciting, though there are basalt columns to the East, which are linked with the Giants Causeway in Antrim. I guess that if you had reasonably calm weather a passage close to the E coast will be worth a few pics.


"I've been a member of Friends of Laphroig for years" - a fellow land-owner ? :)
 
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Rathlin worth a visit as an island with great untapped potential of only they could see it.
Islay definitely worth the trip and every distillery there could certainly teach Bushmills a thing or two about how to organise an informative and interesting distillery tour, rather than a race around to the shop and less than generous tasting.
 
Tex said:
Rathlin worth a visit as an island with great untapped potential of only they could see it.
Islay definitely worth the trip and every distillery there could certainly teach Bushmills a thing or two about how to organise an informative and interesting distillery tour, rather than a race around to the shop and less than generous tasting.
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Someone else with the same experience as us then...

I was underwhelmed by the product as well.
 
Ardbeg, Laphroig and Lagavulin are all almost walkable from Port Ellen but the postal bus goes past all three.
Ardbeg cafe is excellent.
 
sarabande said:
I remember it many years ago being rather barren of trees apart from a few in the valleys. The main port of entry was unimpressive: no vernacular architecture; no monkish ruins.

Its geology is pretty unexciting, though there are basalt columns to the East, which are linked with the Giants Causeway in Antrim. I guess that if you had reasonably calm weather a passage close to the E coast will be worth a few pics.


"I've been a member of Friends of Laphroig for years" - a fellow land-owner ? :)
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Assuming we head straight for Islay, our passage plan takes us close to the East coast so we will look out for the basalt. (We visited the Giants Causeway today as well).

Ref Laphroig, yes I am a fellow landowner and I'm going to ask for the wellies and map so I can go and find it and stand on my square foot of the island!!
 
Haven't been for a few years. McCuaig's bar, the island's sole pub, was certainly a good place for craic and some music, although I'm told that the latter may not be as good these days; that opinion is not mine, but second-hand and there may have been some sour grapes involved after a change in the pub's management.

A visit to the west lighthouse is de rigeur for birdwatchers with some spectacular cliffs and views to excite the normal person. There are actually three lighthouses on the island, and all have pleasant and interesting walks, with an old long-abandoned kelp store at the south-east corner. The small museum in the village is certainly worth a visit where you'll discover why the island's inhabitants were put to the sword twice within a hundred years or so.

There used to be pub grub in McCuaig's, possibly still is, and there is a cafe attached to the pub these days; there is a rather swankier establishment close by which, AFAIR, goes by the name of Bruce's Kitchen. The first time I went to McCuaig's, I was unsure of the local closing time, so I bought a double round and asked when they closed. "Would October be OK?". This was in April. Very droll.

As mentioned above, study the tidal streams, not that it will do you much good; Sloch na Marra has a mind of its own and going through one, maybe two, metre high standing waves can be fun if the hatches are closed. One tip, from bitter experience; if by some mischance your timing is less than perfect, don't fight against the clockwise motion of the tide between Ballycastle and Rathlin once it has set in. Far better to go west past Ballycastle (watch for an an offshore rock around there, AFAIR) and then north towards the west end of Church Bay - the tide will take you to harbour.

Unfortunately, the harbour has been deliberately spoiled in recent years; since the new pontoons were built, the local council has fixed old tractor tyres to the side of the south quay; the reason given was, I believe, to keep the harbour free for "deeper draught boats" ie fishing boats that generally draw less water than many yachts. There were no fishing boats in the harbour last time I was there. Perhaps I'm wrong, but it looked like an attempt to force visiting boats onto the pontoons which can be very uncomfortable in a swell. Entering the inner harbour was a pleasure, and on the several occasions that we visited, was never congested.

Finally, if you do visit, be sure to ask the locals about the Rathlin Yacht Race.
 
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We stopped in at Rathlin a couple of years ago. Would definitely visit again. Decent grub at the community owned cafe, pontoon was priced very cheaply because the shore power wasn't working at the time. Some really nice walks and there's also a little bus to take you to the far end of the island for bird watching (we didn't try this out as we assumed they wouldn't let us aboard with the dogs).
One thing to watch, another yacht on the pontoon had run aground on his way in. I think he turned too soon at the entrance.

Also, Islay- Laphroag is a pretty decent walk away along the side of the road. Would be better to get the bus!
 
Don't cut the corner on the way into the harbour, (been there and cost me a new prop). Before they built the new harbour you lined up on the road on low hill in the back ground. I believe the new steel pontoons could be noisy at night but wasn't too bad during the day. The south cardinal mark in the bay marks the wreck of HMS Drake, well it would do if it was at least 200m to the NNW. Would be worth dropping some feathers on the wreck for a fresh fish supper. Depth to the sea bed is 15m and the wreck stands about 5m proud.

Pete
 
The Manor House has a fairly good restaurant and a small bar. If you want lobster you have to book in advance as they have to go out and get one.

As Pete7 says, don't cut the corner when you get into the inner harbour. I did and headed straight for the pontoon but came to a gentle stop. Aiming a bit to port on the second attempt worked. Dredged area on far side of pontoon is quite small. You can get in and out, but turning is a bit more of a challenge.
 
john_morris_uk said:
Title says it all really. After being stuck in Cambeltown for several days with the strong winds we are now in Ballycastle. Very pleasant but the tour of Bushmills Distillery was underwhelming. We felt very processed and the tour guide had lost her enthusiasm and sounded bored.

However, its time to head north and Islay beckons. We were going to spend a night in Rathlin Island but can't make up our mind if its worth it. Seven distilleries on Islay might be distracting us... Any views please?
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You can visit the cave where Robert the Bruce watched the spider....
 
On a visit, we noticed one morning that most of the local vehicles seemed to have disappeared. In the pub, we were told that the Ballycastle policeman had 'phoned to advise of a routine visit that morning. The locals had thoughtfully spared him the embarrassment of having to ignore the fact that few, if any, were taxed.
 
Definately worth a visit - spend the day there - there are some splendid walks. If you are really lucky you might even spot one of the blue eyed golden hares.
 
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