Carrick-a-Rede Ropebridge

Carrick-a-Rede is a rope bridge linking the small island of Carrickarede to the Antrim coast near Ballintoy, around 16 miles north of Ballymoney. It crosses a chasm roughly 20 metres wide and 30 metres deep above the Atlantic. The National Trust owns and maintains it, and it’s open to visitors — pre-booking is essential, and slots can sell out in peak season, so check the National Trust’s site before you travel rather than turning up on spec.

History

The name means “rock in the road,” and salmon fishermen have strung a bridge to the island for well over 350 years — historically to reach salmon nets set off the rocks. Early versions had wide gaps between the slats and a single handrail; a sturdier version went up in 2000, and the current wire-rope bridge with a Douglas fir walkway was built in 2008 by Belfast firm Heyn Construction.

The salmon fishery itself has effectively ended — catches collapsed from around 300 fish a day in the 1960s to a few hundred across an entire season by the early 2000s, and the fishery hasn’t operated commercially in years.

What to expect

• The crossing is short but genuinely exposed — wind and height affect people differently, and it’s normal for some visitors to need help getting back across rather than walking it themselves.
• Facilities: a car park at Larrybane, the site of a quarried-away clifftop fort, is the usual starting point, with a walk along the coast path to the bridge itself.
• Wildlife and geology: the surrounding coastline is designated an Area of Special Scientific Interest, with sea caves below the cliffs once used as shelter and, historically, as boat-builders’ workshops.
• Views: on a clear day you can see Rathlin Island and the Scottish coast from the island side.