The Atlantic Companion · Causeway Coastal Route · Antrim

Welcome to Glens of Antrim.
We're glad you're here.

Nine glens — Glentaisie, Glenshesk, Glendun, Glencorp, Glenaan, Glenballyemon, Glenariff, Glencloy and Glenarm — cut down through the Antrim plateau to the coast. The Coast Road runs along the bottom of them, looking out to the channel; the small roads up into the glens take you into another country entirely. Glenariff, the 'queen of the glens', has a forest park and three waterfalls in a wooded gorge. Glenarm has the oldest village in Northern Ireland and a working salmon weir. The Antrim Coast Road that ties them together was carved out in the 1830s — basalt cliffs hanging directly above the tarmac, the sea inches the other side.

Nine glens running down to the sea, between Cushendall and Larne.

Sharing from the Wild Atlantic Way

You're in Glens of Antrim. Send it to someone who'd love it.

First things first

Where are you headed next?

Tell us once and we'll shape the rest of the page around it.

The essentials

What you shouldn't miss.

Locally chosen, not algorithmic. In rough order of "if you only do one thing".

Nature

Glenariff Forest Park & waterfalls

The 'queen of the glens' — a wooded U-shaped valley with a chain of waterfalls (Ess-na-Larach, Ess-na-Crub, Tears of the Mountain) on the Inver river. The Waterfall Walkway is a wooden boardwalk that runs along the gorge — three miles return, mostly easy, very wet underfoot in places. One of the best forest walks on the island.

Good to know · Forest Service NI. Paid car park (cash or card). Tea pavilion at the upper car park. Allow 2 hours for the waterfall loop; longer for the larger circuits.

Get directions

Drive

The Antrim Coast Road

Built between 1832 and 1842 by Sir Charles Lanyon, the Antrim Coast Road runs 25 miles from Larne to Cushendall with the chalk-and-basalt cliffs hanging directly above the tarmac and the channel inches the other side. Counted by Lonely Planet as one of the great coastal drives. Take it slowly — laybys are frequent and worth using.

Good to know · Free. The A2 between Larne and Cushendall. Petrol in Carnlough or Glenarm. No motorway alternative — the slow road IS the road.

Get directions

Town

Glenarm village & castle

The oldest village in the Glens, settled before the Plantation. A working salmon weir on the Glenarm river, the Earl of Antrim's walled garden open to the public, and the McAuley's salt-marsh-grazed beef from the estate. A quiet, real place — not a museum.

Good to know · Free village; entry charge for the castle walled garden (Apr–Sep). Park along the harbour.

Get directions

Town

Carnlough harbour

A small Victorian limestone harbour built by the Marchioness of Londonderry to ship limestone out. The harbour wall, the old whitewashed Londonderry Arms (where Winston Churchill once owned shares), the steps Arya Stark climbed in Game of Thrones. Nicely scaled, very photographable.

Good to know · Free. Park along the harbour. Small Spar shop and a couple of cafés.

Get directions

History

Ossian's Grave

A Neolithic court tomb on the side of Tievebulliagh in Glenaan, traditionally said to be the burial place of the legendary Irish poet Ossian. A short, steep walk up from a layby on the Glenaan road. The view back down the glen is the reason to bother — the cairn itself is a few stones in a field.

Good to know · Free. Layby parking on the small Glenaan road. 15-minute walk uphill on a rough farm track.

Get directions

Local businesses

Places we'd point a friend to.

Hand-picked, not paid for. The ferries, the beds, the pubs and the bike hire that make a visit work.

Before you go. These listings are compiled from public sources and aren't yet verified by the businesses themselves. Hours, menus and prices change with the seasons — always check directly with the venue before travelling, and book ahead in July and August. Owners can get in touch to update their listing.

Eat

Laragh Lodge, Glenariff

A 19th-century hunting lodge turned restaurant in the heart of Glenariff Forest, beside the waterfall trail. Lunches, afternoon teas, Sunday roasts.

Open: Wed–Sun, lunch and dinner — book ahead at weekends
Where: 120 Glen Road, Glenariff, Ballymena BT44 0RA

Directions

Own this business? Get in touch to update or correct this listing →

Stay

Londonderry Arms Hotel

A Georgian coaching inn on the harbour at Carnlough, built in 1848 by the Marchioness of Londonderry — Winston Churchill once owned it, having inherited it from his great-grandmother. Open fires, thirty-five rooms, a proper bar.

Where: 20 Harbour Road, Carnlough BT44 0EU

Directions

Own this business? Get in touch to update or correct this listing →

Run a place in Glens of Antrim?

Our directory is curated, not pay-to-play. If we'd recommend you, you can be on here.

See how to get listed

Got a window or a counter?

Download a free A5 QR card for Glens of Antrim — print it, stick it up, and visitors land straight on the Glens of Antrim guide.

Ask a local

The bits that aren't on Google.

The Glendun viaduct from below
Most drivers cross the Glendun viaduct (the great stone bridge on the Cushendall road) without ever stopping. There's a small layby and a path that drops down into the wooded glen below — fifteen minutes and you're looking up at the arches from the river bed. Half the people who live here haven't done it.
The Tea Pavilion at Glenariff
The wooden café at the upper car park has been pouring tea to walkers since the 1930s. After the waterfall loop, a scone and a pot in the conservatory looking down the glen — the right way to end a Glens day.
Know a Glens spot worth sharing?
Hidden gems on this page are written by locals, not us. The trad session, the loop walk, the harbour pub — tell us and we'll add it.

Common questions

What people ask about Glens of Antrim.

What are the Glens of Antrim?

The Glens of Antrim are nine deep valleys cutting east through the Antrim Plateau from the high ground down to the coast. The most visited are Glenariff (the 'Queen of the Glens', with its waterfall walk), Glenarm, Glendun and Glenballyemon. The Causeway Coastal Route runs along the coast at the foot of all of them.

Is Glenariff Forest Park worth visiting?

Yes — Glenariff Forest Park has the best waterfall walk in Northern Ireland, the Waterfalls Walkway, a 3 km looped path on raised wooden boardwalks past three named waterfalls in a deep wooded glen. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. Wear proper footwear; the boardwalks can be slippery.

How long do you need for the Glens of Antrim?

A long day on the Causeway Coastal Route covers the highlights — Glenariff waterfalls, a stop in Cushendun and Cushendall, and the Torr Head detour. A second day lets you walk one of the longer hill routes (Lurigethan or Slemish) and explore Glenarm Castle's walled garden properly.

Where should I base myself to explore the Glens?

Cushendall is the most central village for visiting multiple glens, with Glenariff a few minutes south and Glenballyemon, Glenaan and Glencorp on its doorstep. Cushendun is smaller and quieter, just to the north. Both work well as a one or two-night base on a Causeway Coastal Route trip.

Practical

The things you'll wish you'd known.

Fuel: Filling stations in Cushendall, Carnlough and Glenarm. The Coast Road has long stretches with nothing.
Cash: ATMs in Cushendall, Carnlough, Glenarm. Forest Park entry takes card.
Currency: Pound sterling (£).
Parking: Free in the villages. Glenariff Forest Park is paid (cash or card at the gate).
Phone signal: Reliable along the Coast Road. Patchier inside the glens, especially up at Glenariff.
On the route: Mid-stretch of the Causeway Coastal Route. Cushendall (where the Glens begin) is 25 min north; Larne 30 min south.

Designed & developed by ideapath.app