The Antrim Coast

Antrim Coast Road at Ardclinis Church between Carnlough and Waterfoot MG_6845-Pano.jpg

The Antrim Coast or Causeway Coast is famous for its rugged beauty, ruined castles, picturesque towns and villages, friendly people and The Giants Causeway. All are made gloriously accessible by the Antrim Coast Road, considered by many to be one of the great drives of the world.


The Coast Road traces the coastline. It is a dramatic drive often with the road just feet from the sea on one side, while cliffs tower on the other side. Sometimes it is closed because of rock falls.

White Park Bay, North Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland 20190817_6401_jorr-Pano.jpg

North Antrim Coast 20190817_6372_jorr-Pano.jpg

Loughareema, the vanishing lake, is a few miles from Ballycastle. The road past the lake sits high enough now to avoid flooding but originally was lower and often under water when the lake flooded. It is said that the engineers building it were possibly unaware of the vanishing lake.

In 1898 the occupants of a coach were drowned while travelling the road when they misjudged how deep the water was.

Loughareema the vanishing lake is on the Coast Road a few miles from Ballycastle. The lake sits on a leaky chalk-bed with a “plug hole” that often becomes jammed with peat. This causes Loughareema to fill during heavy rain. When the plug clears, the lake drains rapidly MG_6923-Pano.jpg

These photographs show the lake partly filled. I think I may have seen water in it once before but it was a dull grey day. This time I was fortunate to get a nice blue sky.

Loughareema the vanishing lake is on the Coast Road a few miles from Ballycastle. The lake sits on a leaky chalk-bed with a “plug hole” that often becomes jammed with peat. This causes Loughareema to fill during heavy rain. When the plug clears, the lake drains rapidly MG_6897-Pano.jpg
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