Northern Ireland's ONLY inhabited offshore island is an absolute gem - my journey to Rathlin Island

hi folks we're in dundee today and we're walking to the airport for a week hop across the irish channel we've got a lot of travel to do today and you're coming with me so let's get going now you might ask why are we doing this trip today well do you remember a few weeks ago in the kantar 66 video when i was down at the molok entire lighthouse and i was amazed at how close northern ireland was to scotland well today we're heading over to the other side and we're going to see what scotland looks like from northern ireland please fingers crossed we get some good weather and clear visibility [Music] the flight segment of this trip was pretty special to me it was both the first time i'd phoned from dundee airport and the first time i'd stepped aboard an etr-42 so i think it's only right that i go back to my roots and bring you a full flight review dedicated to this 40-minute hop across the sea to belfast look out for that one next week [Music] welcome to belfast folks and explore northern ireland indeed we will [Music] please select payment type i caught the airport bus just to save a bit of time but let's be honest like in dundee this would have been an easy walk well the airport bus took no time at all and that's us now in oxford street in belfast and we've got another two buses to catch today to try and get right to the top of northern ireland at valley castle from there we'll find somewhere to stay and then tomorrow we'll try and get a nice view out over scotland nicest bus driver in the world by the way you actually got off the bus to show me where to go next but i'm really used to that over here northern ireland the people here are so friendly [Music] right the guy in the airport bus was saying try the bus center first but i don't see what i'm looking for on the destinations board in there but tell you what just at a time when i've been slagging off bus stations for being really dirty horrible places that one was grand i really like belfast it's hard to describe but the place has got spirit and then when the sun shines it's even nicer but today i'm going to do something i've never done before and that's break free from the city now i think i get my first bus on bridge street and is this bridge street yes it is [Music] okay so i had a bit of time to go and get some supplies and everything's very chilled at the moment but this is where it could all begin to unravel because like i say i've got to get two buses to get to ballycastle tonight and that means a connection in balumina with only five minutes connection time and from what i can see this is the only service that'll get me there tonight and i've got a room book there so i've really got to make this connection wish me luck [Music] still waiting [Music] [Music] nice one cheers that was bang on time here's hoping it stays that way [Music] so [Music] right i'm at balamina and i can actually get the bus from here the driver actually just jumped off the coach and went and checked for me so i can get on the one three one night at valley castle thanks very much all right nice one cheers thanks mate [Music] so there goes my bus and i'm very pleased to say we've made it to bali castle this evening so what i'll do just now is try and find that room that i've booked and if i've got any battery left at all we'll go for a wee explorer tonight we might even get a beer hey this is fantastic folks look at my room i wasn't expecting this for 50 quid and i've even got my own ensuite let's dump the bag and we'll go explore what a fancy neighborhood i think i'll be very comfortable here tonight and all ready for whatever tomorrow brings right folks i'm quite tired after that day of travelling but there's still about an hour's day light left in the sky and i did promise you would go and explore so let's go and sample the delight to bali castle on a tuesday [Music] night hey this looks like a lovely wee town of course as usual we're not going to be spending much time here but it's nice to have a wheel look around unfortunately the only things that are going to be open just now is pubs but that's not a problem is it [Music] [Music] so there we go exactly 11 hours after leaving the seaside at home in montrose we've arrived at the seaside in valley castle northern ireland over behind me there we've got rathon island i think that's how you pronounce it but that's where we're going to go tomorrow and we can explore the lighthouses i think there's even a pub on that island and between the island and the headland over there you might be able to see off in the distance that's scotland and weirdly that's why we came all this way to get an alternative view of scotland and tomorrow when we're at the island i'll bring my better camera we'll zoom in a little bit we might even see the mulliken tire but for now i'm gonna head back into town get something to eat something to drink and i'll see you guys in the morning tried to get a chippy for my dinner but i've just missed it it closed five minutes ago but from where i'm standing right here i can still see one two three ice cream shops still open that's what it's all about cheers guys all the best to you good morning folks another big day ahead of us today and that starts with this half hour walk to the ferry oh that's the bubbles out last night by the way and then we'll go across to wrathlon island there might be quite a bit of walking over there as well and there's one place i'd really like to see on the island i'll save that for later it might not happen we'll see if we get there now i have heard that there's a wee bus on the island that could save us a whole lot of walking but it does only take cash of red so remind me to go with the cash machine that would save the legs a bit and i'd also like to know if northern ireland still issues its own banknotes but first let's find some coffee can i see much open down here yet this morning i think we're going to have to have a spa breakfast oh cash machine and there's your answer of course they do hey this bar wasn't so bad they do proper breakfast rolls so we are sorted hmm the ferry terminal all looks a wee bit closed up but there is this timetable department castle 9am ah there we go [Music] thanks [Music] i just got checked in there and there was only two of us on the list i almost had this boat to myself oh no there's some more people turning up now that's good there's a couple of boats out to wrathlon this is the express but i think there's a slower boat as well that you can take your car maybe a bike you enjoy the coffee [Music] well there's not much david we're on the express service [Music] [Music] welcome to wrathlon island and i can see a bus it's called bert's puffin bus let's hope that can take us to the west coast [Music] thanks we've got a wee bit of a problem hearing that bert's puffin bus will only travel when there's six passengers or more and there's only two of us the other lady who works at the bird sanctuary she's just working on him just now but i don't hold out much hope [Applause] nah it's not looking too good that's three of us now but still only halfway to getting that bus to move i was planning to maybe get the bus out there and walk back because we're a wee bit limited for time today but we'll see maybe we could do it the other way maybe we can walk to the west coast and then get the bus back ah well we had three options option one was to get the bus that didn't happen option two to try and get a lift that looks unlikely so option three rathon island where the essential for your van there's a little plant box on the outside okay so the lady was saying it's just a big steep climb up this hill to the school and then we just head out west and boy does it look a steep climb here we are again folks adventures with steve uphill edition okay so the east lighthouse a mile and a quarter away that's where we get nice views out over scotland maulik and tyre we'll try and do that a wee bit later but the lighthouse i really want to see is the west lighthouse and just got three and three quarter miles it's not too bad as long as it's not just uphill all the way but at this stage it feels like it might be hi it's not the flattest island i've ever walked on but the wee lighthouse at the western tip it should be worth all this effort you're an absolute lifesaver although you didn't turn up until i've done the school hill so there we go and they had to stay away and you're right they all believe that well yeah but each of these [Music] geraldine thank you so much what a view from here oh wow am i grateful for that lift from geraldine who i believe manages the seabird center here because that is a hilly old route that would have taken me hours but anyway we're here now at the very western tip and the views are incredible right over towards the antrim coast and i believe the giant causeway is just down there because it's only 17 miles from valley castle but the cliffs here i'm not surprised the birds like it so as you can see here we've got seabird centre but also great lighthouses of ireland and that's what we're here to see very exciting the puffins there all the way to see now we'll see them again next year right i've paid my fiver at the seabird centre and we're just heading down the hill now to the lighthouse now i believe there's two or three lighthouses on the island maybe more but there's a reason we're coming to this one it's very unique in fact it's probably one of the most unique lighthouses anywhere in the uk so here we are just behind me the west lighthouse now you get a wee bit of a hint from this angle as to why this lighthouse is so unique can you see what appears to be missing let's go and have a closer look what's a location [Music] and that's exactly what we're looking for a wee bit further to go though oh look at this the lighthouse keeper's bedroom it's so cozy looking and there we are the light which is right at the bottom welcome to northern ireland's upside down lighthouse um [Music] i see here we've got a nice big chart of the area so we started out in valley castle we got the fast ferry right into here and then i walked up the hill caught a lift and we went all the way to the west coast now the plan is to head back east back to where we started and then walk across to the very east coast where there's another lighthouse and we should get a nice view out towards the mulliken tyre in scotland let's get going and see if we can catch that bus [Music] yes the puffin express [Applause] [Music] so [Music] are they all for you yeah oh no way thanks mate cheers all the best you see you always come to these places early i had a private transfer back look at it now to be honest with you before i came here i didn't even expect there to be many buildings never mind this beautiful little community in harbor there's even a gym and i think that's the pub we'll build that in mind for later right so the east lighthouse i think that's the one we're looking for it's only a mile and a half that's no too bad we don't need a bus for that one [Music] and this wee walk is made all the more easy but the fact that it's a walk home well it's a walk to a view of scotland anyway the colors here the purples and yellows absolutely stunning i'm finding it a wee bit hard to believe that i'm here to be honest who would have thought when i was over at the mullick entire lighthouse just a few short weeks ago that now i'd be over on the other side looking back at scotland these little geographical challenges these are the ones that i love the most if you've got any others in mind be sure to let me know [Applause] are you oh you've got to be kidding me that just blows my mind that's as beautiful a lighthouse setting as i think i've ever seen [Music] right folks it's time for a self-proclaimed well-deserved paint i just want to check the availability and use my bonus price cheers okay folks we're right down literally by the sea we're in northern ireland i've had a beer there's only one snack to have isn't there dulls if you're not familiar with dolls it's basically just seaweed i could have just gone and picked it myself but i went and bought it in the co-op the lady was saying that she absolutely hates it but sometimes uses it for cooking but you can just eat it straight out the bag so here we go my first time trying dolls i've found the smallest possible piece oh man that's horrible it does just taste of the sea if i had to describe it it's like eating seaweed um not for me i don't think so the rest of that bag is going to get packaged up and taken home as a souvenir for you know who all right just checking the timetable here the three o'clock ferry we're getting back is sor spirit of wrathland so that is the car ferry so we're getting a different boat back i'm glad i checked that timetable because i was sure we were going back on the same boat and the spirit of rafan departs from another pier as well so it's good to be organized and get over there in plenty time oh right folks now we're back in the mainland that's about it for today's video and it means the start of the long journey home but i'll break it up a bit i'll stay in belfast tonight and then how i get home to scotland well that's for another day and another video thanks so much for watching today as always take care and i'll see you soon bye [Music] you

Channel: SteveMarsh

Views: 159,616

Keywords: Rathlin, Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland, Rathlin Island Northern Ireland, West Lighthouse Rathlin Island, Upsidedown Lighthouse, upside down lighthouse, Antrim coast, Antrim Coast Northern Ireland, Dulse, Trying pulse for first time, Dundee to Belfast, Loganair, DND, Dundee airport, Dundee, SteveMarsh, Steve Marsh, Steve Marsh travel reviewer, Steve Marsh trip report, Belfast, bus travel Northern Ireland, coach travel Northern Ireland, Rathlin ferry, Rathlin Island ferry, NI

Id: CgHMW5jNS18

Length: 26min 30sec (1590 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 10 2022