Forces of nature generally do not favor straight lines.
If you travel to the northeast coast of Antrim County in Northern Ireland, however, you can climb on 40,000 interlocking, straight-sided, basalt columns created by a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago. Each polygonal column has between four and eight straight sides.
The Giant’s Causeway is Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a nature reserve managed by the National Trust. These unique rock formations serve as a natural rampart protecting the picturesque coastline from ferocious Atlantic storms. Every year, more than a half a million people climb on these rocks located three miles from Bushmills – the town famous for its whiskey distillery.
The mostly hexagonal or six-sided columns date to the Paleogene Period, when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau.
As the lava cooled, horizontal contraction fractured the plateau, creating downward cracks that left pillar-like structures.
Gaelic mythology and legend have a different explanation for The Giant’s Causeway. Here’s our favorite version of the story:
The Irish giant Fionn MacCool was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Accepting the challenge, Fionn built the causeway across the North Channel so that the two giants could meet.
When Fionn sees how much bigger his foe Benandonner is, however, he tries to hide. Fionn’s wife, Oonagh, saves the day by disguising Fionn as a baby and tucking him in a cradle. When the Scottish giant Benandonner sees the size of the ‘baby’, he assumes that the baby’s father, Fionn, must be a giant among giants. Benandonner flees back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so that Fionn could not follow.
There are identical basalt columns (part of the same ancient lava flow) at Fingal’s Cave on the Scottish isle of Staffa, likely influencing this “Giant’s Causeway” legend.
Visitors can make the half-mile walk to reach the basalt columns at the edge of the sea without first taking the time or paying the fee to enter the Giant’s Causeway Visitor’s Center opened in 2012.
After the walk down to the site and then somewhat strenuous climb back up, we were hungry. Our tour driver/guide from Odyssey Coach Tours had recommended having lunch at The Nook if we had not brought a packed lunch.
The Nook was a good recommendation. The cafe serves pub-style food and this open-faced shrimp sandwich was a hit. (Yes, there was bread under all of that shrimp and fresh salad.)
Mr. Jones’ had the hearty pastry-topped stew.
We visited this destination and several others as part of our day-long Giants Causeway Tour with Odyssey Coach Tours, and highly recommend both the tour and the company.
Have you visited Northern Ireland? What’s your favorite attraction? Please share in comments below.
Other posts on our visit to Belfast you may want to check out:
- Getting from Kansas City to Belfast
- A Look Inside the Hilton Belfast Hotel
- Crossing the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge in County Antrim, Northern Ireland
- 15 Views From Walking Around Belfast
In preparation for our trip, we created a Belfast and Northern Ireland board on Pinterest.
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