The Rathlin Island Ferry & Seabird Centre is a great first stop, and Rathlin Boat Adventures lets you see the cliffs from the water.
Back on the mainland, Fair Head delivers stunning clifftop walks for free, and Kinbane Head & Castle adds a history angle to your coastal exploring. Ballycastle has a beach, a playpark, and easy access to the wider Causeway Coast.
The best days out near Rathlin Island
Rathlin Boat Adventures
Rathlin Island dive sites
Rathlin Island Ferry & Seabird Centre
Rathlin Island
Fair Head crag
Fair Head
Fair Head Cliffs Stargazing
Fair Head Cliffs (GoT — Dragonstone Cliffs)
Murlough Bay to Fair Head Clifftop Walk
Kinbane Head & Castle
Pans Rocks Cave / The Devil's Churn
Pans Rocks Snorkel (Ballycastle North Beach)
Causeway Coast Boat Tours
Niche Coastal Sauna
Kintra Boat Tours
Rathlin Island Ferry
Ballycastle Seafront Playpark
Murlough Bay
Ballycastle Beach
Ballycastle Golf Club
Bonamargy Friary
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Ballycastle Museum
Moyle Way
Torr Head
Causeway Coast Way: Ballintoy to Carrick-a-Rede
Larrybane Headland (GoT — Renly's Camp)
The Salt Spa at The Salthouse
Trench Farm
Causeway Activities Sea Kayaking
Ballintoy Boat Tours
Ballintoy Harbour
Ballintoy Harbour snorkel site
Torr Head Loop
Broughgammon Farm
Old Coastguard Station
Tor Head Seal Viewpoint
Watertop Open Farm
Knocklayd Summit Walk
White Park Bay
Ballycastle Farm Shop
What's on near Rathlin Island
- 7Sep‘Under the Tree’ Storytime — Ballycastle LibraryBallycastle Library
- 7SepLego Club (on Mondays) — Ballycastle LibraryBallycastle Library
- 7SepGaelscoil an Chaistil Parent & Toddler (Ballycastle)5 Kilns Road
- 8SepRhythm and Rhyme (Tuesday and Saturday Mornings) — Ballycastle LibraryBallycastle Library
- 9SepDuplo Club — Ballycastle LibraryBallycastle Library
- 11SepBallycastle Health & Wellbeing Fair 2026Sheskburn, Ballycastle
Days out in Rathlin Island — your questions
What are the best days out in Rathlin Island?
Rathlin Island itself is the standout — take the ferry from Ballycastle and visit the Rathlin Island Ferry & Seabird Centre to see the island's seabird colonies. For coastal drama on the mainland, Fair Head and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge are both exceptional. Kinbane Head & Castle makes a great add-on if you want a free ruined castle too.
What free things are there to do in Rathlin Island?
There's a good range of free options nearby. Fair Head is one of the best free coastal walks on the Antrim coast. Kinbane Head & Castle costs nothing to visit. Ballycastle Seafront Playpark is free for children, and Ballycastle Beach requires no entry fee. The Fair Head Cliffs are also a free Game of Thrones filming location.
Where can you go on a rainy day near Rathlin Island?
On a wet day, Ballycastle Museum is the main indoor option close to Rathlin Island. It's a good chance to explore the area's local history without getting soaked. For a shorter outdoor outing, Bonamargy Friary in Ballycastle is free and quick to visit even in a shower.
What's good for young children near Rathlin Island?
Ballycastle Seafront Playpark is free and right on the seafront — young kids love it. Trench Farm and Watertop Open Farm are both good choices if your children enjoy animals and the outdoors. For a gentler introduction to Rathlin Island, the ferry crossing itself tends to be a big hit with little ones.