Activity Farm & Campsite Ballycastle, Glens of Antrim
Watertop Farm
A scenic hill farm and campsite by a little lake in the Glens of Antrim below Knocklayd — play area, monster slide, crazy golf, farm animals and a waterfall walk.
A family hill farm and campsite tucked into the Glens of Antrim below Knocklayd, a short run from Ballycastle — camp beside the little lake, let the children loose on the play area, monster slide and crazy golf, then walk the waterfall trail into the hills.
What you'll do — pitch a tent or park up for a night or two on a working farm ringed by hills, with a children's play area, a monster slide and a 9-hole crazy golf course to burn off energy, and farm animals — sheep, cows, horses, donkeys, chickens, ducks and the friendly sheepdogs — grazing across the fields.
The setting — the farm sits by a small lake and river with the Glens of Antrim rising all around and Knocklayd behind. There's a waterfall walk and a track the campsite says leads to the famous Vanishing Lake (Loughareema), the lough that fills and empties with the weather.
Room to roam — around 6 miles of gravel tracks wind across the farm, good for a stroll or for getting the bikes out, plus an old farm cottage museum with a traditional open fire to look round.
How long — a walk-and-play stop is an easy half-day; most people come to camp and make a weekend of exploring the Glens and the Causeway Coast from here.
Cost — it's a paid campsite; pitch and hook-up prices vary by season and party, so check the current rate and book direct on watertopfarm.co.uk.
Seasonal — Easter to Halloween. The site opens roughly Easter through to Halloween and closes over winter, so check the dates and book ahead before you travel.
It's a campsite now, not the old open farm. After more than 30 years, Watertop stopped running as a daily open-farm activity centre in 2020 — so the organised pony treks and boating of years gone by aren't on offer; today it's a scenic place to camp, walk and let the little ones play.
Plan your visit
Book ahead — it's a seasonal campsite
Watertop runs as a family campsite from around Easter through to Halloween and closes over winter, so check the dates before you set off. It takes tents, campervans and touring caravans across three pitch areas — grass and hardstanding, with electric hook-ups available — beside the lake, river and farm fields. On site there's a children's play area, a monster slide and a 9-hole crazy golf course, farm animals to see, a cottage museum, and about six miles of gravel tracks for walking or biking, with a waterfall walk and a route towards the Vanishing Lake. Pitch and hook-up prices vary by season and party size, so confirm the current rate and book direct at watertopfarm.co.uk. Note this is now a campsite rather than the daily open-farm activity centre it was until 2020.
Play area, monster slide & crazy golfWaterfall walk & 6 miles of tracksShowers, toilets & disabled facilitiesOn-site parking & hook-upsDogs on leads (max 2 per pitch)
Worth knowing:
Watertop stopped operating as a daily open-farm activity centre in 2020 and now runs as a seasonal campsite. If you're picturing the old organised pony treks and boat rides, they aren't on offer — but the play area, crazy golf, animals and walks remain. Always check the season and prices on watertopfarm.co.uk before you go.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
👢Wellies or sturdy shoesIt's a working hill farm with grass fields and gravel tracks, so feet find the mud — save the good trainers for another day.
🧥A coat and layersYou're up in the Glens where the weather turns quickly — a coat whatever the sky's doing means a shower never spoils the walk.
🧢Sun hat and water on a bright dayMuch of it is open and outdoors, so a hat, a drink and a shady spot make a sunny day a joy.
📶Anything you need downloadedThere's no Wi-Fi on site and 4G is the only signal, so line up maps, music or a film before you arrive.
Good to know
Everything before you go
What it is
A family-run hill farm and seasonal campsite in the Glens of Antrim, a short drive from Ballycastle. It ran for over 30 years as an open-farm activity centre before that side closed in 2020; today it welcomes campers and day walkers, with a play area, monster slide and crazy golf retained for families.
Season & hours
Open roughly Easter to Halloween and closed over winter. Dates and any daytime hours can change year to year, so check the current season on watertopfarm.co.uk before travelling.
Cost
A paid campsite — pitch prices for tents, campervans and caravans vary by season and party size, with electric hook-ups and laundry charged separately. Confirm the current rate when you book direct.
Booking
Book your pitch direct through watertopfarm.co.uk or by phone. Popular Glens weekends fill up, so it's worth booking ahead.
Ages
All ages. Younger children get the play area, monster slide and crazy golf; the walks, lake and open hills suit families and older kids who like the outdoors.
What you'll see & do
Farm animals across the fields — sheep, cows, horses, donkeys, chickens, ducks and sheepdogs — plus a children's play area, a monster slide and a 9-hole crazy golf course. Around six miles of gravel tracks for walking and biking, a waterfall walk, a route towards the Vanishing Lake (Loughareema), and an old farm cottage museum with a traditional open fire.
Facilities
Hot showers, toilets, baby-changing and disabled facilities, an indoor dishwashing area, covered eating spaces and (fee-based) laundry. No Wi-Fi, though 4G coverage is good.
Dogs
Well-behaved dogs are welcome on leads at all times, with a maximum of two per pitch.
Parking
On-site parking for campers, with electric hook-ups available on many pitches.
How long
A walk-and-play visit is an easy half-day; most guests come to camp and use it as a base to explore the Glens and the Causeway Coast over a weekend.
Questions
Before you go
Is Watertop still an open farm you can visit for the day?
Watertop stopped running as a daily open-farm activity centre in 2020 and now operates as a seasonal campsite. Campers and walkers still enjoy the play area, monster slide, crazy golf, the animals across the fields and the hill walks — but the old ticketed open-farm day out isn't on offer. Check watertopfarm.co.uk for what's currently open.
When is it open?
Roughly Easter through to Halloween, then closed over winter. Dates shift a little year to year, so confirm on the website before you travel.
Can we camp there?
Yes — it takes tents, campervans and touring caravans across three pitch areas, with electric hook-ups, showers, toilets and laundry on site. Book your pitch direct and it makes a scenic base for the Glens and the Causeway Coast.
What's there for the children?
A children's play area, a monster slide and a 9-hole crazy golf course, plus farm animals to see across the fields and plenty of room to roam on the walking tracks.
Are there good walks?
There are — around six miles of gravel tracks for walking and biking, a waterfall walk, and a route the site says leads to the Vanishing Lake (Loughareema), the lough that fills and empties with the weather.
Can I bring the dog?
Yes — well-behaved dogs are welcome on leads at all times, with a maximum of two per pitch. It's a working farm with livestock, so keeping them close matters.
Getting there
188 Cushendall Road, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim, BT54 6RN — on the Ballycastle–Cushendall road in the heart of the Glens of Antrim, below Knocklayd, with on-site parking for campers. It's a scenic run from Ballycastle and an easy base for the wider Glens and Causeway Coast.
Watertop sits high in the Glens of Antrim, on the road between Ballycastle and Cushendall, with Knocklayd rising behind it and a small lake and river running through the fields. The McBride family have farmed here since the early 1900s — a traditional mixed farm, milking cows by hand and keeping cattle and sheep on the hill.
In the 1970s Patsy McBride began to diversify, first opening the gates as a pony-trekking centre and, over time, growing it into what's often described as the first open farm in Ireland. For more than three decades families poured up the Glens road for the animals, the boats on the lake and the run of the fields, and Watertop became a fixture of a Causeway Coast summer.
After over 30 years, the family wound down the daily activity centre in 2020. What's stayed is the heart of the place — a working farm in a beautiful setting, now welcoming campers and walkers, with the play area, monster slide, crazy golf, the animals and the hill walks still there for a new run of families to enjoy.