Days Out NI
Nature & wildlife Portrush

Ramore Head

A free clifftop walk over Portrush with seabirds, seals and a touch-tank centre

4 photos
OpenHeadland and walk open all year, any dayl…
FreeNo ticket needed
PortrushNature & wildlife
Get directionsOfficial website
30-45 minutesHow long
FreeEntry
All agesBest for
On leadsDogs
PaidParking

Ramore Head — A free clifftop walk over Portrush with seabirds, seals and a touch-tank centre.

  • What you'll see: Grey seals, fulmars, kittiwakes, black guillemots, eider ducks, the Skerries islands, basalt cliffs, and Dunluce Castle in the distance.
  • Season: Headland and walk open all year, any daylight hours. The Coastal Zone centre opens seasonally (roughly spring to autumn, limited days) so check before you go.
  • Dogs: Dogs welcome on the clifftop walk on a lead, especially near nesting birds and livestock-free open ground. Keep them close on the cliff edges. Check signage at the Coastal Zone centre.
  • Parking: Pay-and-display car parks at West Strand and East Strand, and promenade parking nearby.
  • Food: No cafe on the headland. Plenty of cafes, ice cream and chip shops back in Portrush, a few minutes' walk.
  • Toilets: No toilets on the head itself. Public toilets and facilities in Portrush town and at the strands.
Plan your visit

Seals, seabirds and a real touch tank

The Skerries islands off the head are the draw for wildlife. Grey seals haul out on the rocks, and kids can usually pick out a few heads bobbing in the swell. On the cliffs fulmars glide stiff-winged at eye level, while kittiwakes, black guillemots and eider ducks breed around the islands. Bring binoculars if you have them. Then walk round to the free Coastal Zone centre on the east side, where touch tanks, live sea creatures, rock-pool displays, small aquariums, fossils and whale bones turn the wildlife into something hands-on. The centre runs seasonally, so check days before you go.

Free Grey seals offshore Cliff seabirds Touch tanks nearby Buggy-friendly path Open all year
Good to know before you go:

Ramore Head is at its best on the seabird-passage days of spring and autumn, when fulmars, gannets and migrating birds stream past the point. The Coastal Zone centre runs seasonal rock-pool rambles, family wildlife activities and school-holiday events through the warmer months. Times change year to year, so check what's on before you travel.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 🔭BinocularsHalf the fun is spotting the birds, seals or deer before they spot you.
  • 👟Walking shoes or welliesPaths can be soft, grassy or muddy after rain — comfy waterproof feet win.
  • 🧥A coatOut in the open the weather changes fast; dress for it and enjoy the fresh air.
  • 💧Water and a snackReserves are quiet places — few have a café, so pack a little something.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Cost
Free. The Coastal Zone centre nearby is also free to enter.
Opening / season
Headland and walk open all year, any daylight hours. The Coastal Zone centre opens seasonally (roughly spring to autumn, limited days) so check before you go.
Best for ages
All ages. Toddlers in buggies on the surfaced path; older kids enjoy seal and seabird spotting and the touch tanks.
What you'll see
Grey seals, fulmars, kittiwakes, black guillemots, eider ducks, the Skerries islands, basalt cliffs, and Dunluce Castle in the distance.
Food
No cafe on the headland. Plenty of cafes, ice cream and chip shops back in Portrush, a few minutes' walk.
Toilets
No toilets on the head itself. Public toilets and facilities in Portrush town and at the strands.
Parking
Pay-and-display car parks at West Strand and East Strand, and promenade parking nearby.
Dogs
Dogs welcome on the clifftop walk on a lead, especially near nesting birds and livestock-free open ground. Keep them close on the cliff edges. Check signage at the Coastal Zone centre.
Accessibility
Surfaced, mostly flat path that is buggy and largely wheelchair friendly, except the steps on the Ramore Head section near the harbour.
How long to allow
30-45 minutes for the headland; 1.5-2 hours for the full peninsula loop, longer with the centre and a beach stop.
Address
Ramore Head, Portrush, Co. Antrim, BT56 8DF
Questions

Before you go

Is it free?
Free. The Coastal Zone centre nearby is also free to enter.
What will we see?
Grey seals, fulmars, kittiwakes, black guillemots, eider ducks, the Skerries islands, basalt cliffs, and Dunluce Castle in the distance.
When is the best time to go?
Headland and walk open all year, any daylight hours. The Coastal Zone centre opens seasonally (roughly spring to autumn, limited days) so check before you go.
Can I bring the dog?
Dogs welcome on the clifftop walk on a lead, especially near nesting birds and livestock-free open ground. Keep them close on the cliff edges. Check signage at the Coastal Zone centre.
Where do I park?
Pay-and-display car parks at West Strand and East Strand, and promenade parking nearby.
Getting there

Ramore Head is at Ramore Head, Portrush, Co. Antrim, BT56 8DF. Pay-and-display car parks at West Strand and East Strand, and promenade parking nearby. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

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The story

About the place

Ramore Head is the rocky northern tip of Portrush, a headland of dolerite and basalt formed by volcanic activity around 60 million years ago. The cliffs, geology and the Skerries islands offshore were officially recognised as an Area of Special Scientific Interest in 1996, which protects them from mining, dumping, construction and the introduction of new species.

The Skerries, a chain of low islands including Big and Little Carr, Castle Island and Black Rock, are uninhabited and rich in wildlife, supporting breeding seabirds and giving grey seals their haul-out rocks. The waters were once home to the now-extinct Great Auk, a flightless seabird recorded on this coast before it died out.

On the east side of the head, the Coastal Zone centre (formerly the Portrush Countryside Centre) is run by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs as its main coastal and marine visitor centre, with touch tanks and live displays explaining the shore on your doorstep.