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Towns & Villages

Towns & Villages

This journey around our atmospheric towns and villages is not the usual well-trodden tourist trail between crowded attractions.

It's about engaging with a unique heritage, the link between a famous racehorse and a historic hotel bar, the romantic story behind the naming of a fisherman's boat, the friendly ghost that haunts your hotel, the passion of a steam train aficionado as they show you Ireland's finest collection of antique locomotives.

Expect to be surprised.

Things to See & Do
Itineraries

Plan Your Trip

Make the most of your stay in Mid & East Antrim by selecting from one of our itineraries. Each one caters to a different interest, a different mood, and ensures you experience the very best in the region.

Towns & Villages Itinerary

To truly appreciate the splendour of Mid & East Antrim, you must walk its towns and villages - These are places that have grown up from the rolling valleys of the Glens, nourished by the ebb and flow of the sea. 

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Towns & Villages Itinerary | Shaped by Sea and Stone
Town & Villages

Coast Itinerary

The Causeway Coastal Route that twists and turns along the ancient County Antrim coastline is quite simply a journey unlike any other.

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Coast Itinerary | Shaped by Sea and Stone
Coast

Heritage Itinerary

This land has a story to tell - A historic tale passed down through generations, through artefacts and ruins, through folklore and ancient writings, where etchings of the past reveal a deeper understanding.

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Heritage Itinerary | Shaped by Sea and Stone
Heritage

Wellbeing Itinerary

From atop Slemish Mountain, the vast sky stretches away into the far distance - Patchwork fields, divided by dry stone walls, and the grasslands of the Shillanavogy Valley are burnished gold by the sun.

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Wellness Itinerary | Shaped by Sea and Stone
Wellbeing

Hospitality Itinerary

Let’s explore the culinary landscape of Mid and East Antrim and follow the trail of one of Ireland’s Top Ten Foodie Destinations of 2019.

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Hospitality | Shaped by Sea and Stone
Hospitality

Game of Thrones® Itinerary

The makers of HBO’s Game of Thrones® wanted to find an ancient landscape new to the rest of the world - dramatic cliffs that give way to beautiful valleys, medieval castles towering over picturesque stone harbours.

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Game of Thrones Itinerary | Shaped by Sea and Stone
Game Of Thrones®

48-Hour Itinerary

The idyllic area of Mid & East Antrim was not built in a day, over thousands of years, the land started to take shape - with the collision of the rough Irish Sea on the soft grassy verges and the power of mother nature, the land started to flourish.

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48-Hour Itinerary | Shaped by Sea and Stone
48 Hours
Editorials

St. Nicholas Church

St. Nicholas Church

Built by Ulster Anglo-Norman conqueror John de Courcy in the late 12th century, it seems every invasion or change of power or tumultuous local event has left its imprint here.

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Historic Sites
 St Nicolas Church | Shaped by Sea and Stone

The Braid

The Braid

In this interactive museum, you can walk through our surprising history, from ancient pagan stone tombs to the dawn of a new religion. There is a fantastic digital trail for the whole family, with quizzes, puzzles and games. 

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Museums & Galleries
The Braid  | Shaped by Sea and Stone

Carnlough Bay Boat Tours

Carnlough Bay Boat Tours

Meet Davy Smyth, a third generation fisherman in the quaint village of Carnlough, nestled between the rolling hills of the Glens of Antrim and the sea.

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Boat Tours
Carnlough Bay Boat Tours | Shaped by Sea and Stone

The Gobbins

The Gobbins

George McGrand has been guiding people over a spectacular sea cliff walk that clings to this epic coast since it was reimagined in 2015.

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Coastal Walks
The Gobbins  | Shaped by Sea and Stone

Glenarm Castle

Glenarm Castle

Medieval conflicts of the Glens and Causeway Coast, giving way to an 18th-century elegance that transformed this achingly beautiful site into one of the treasures of Northern Ireland.

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Castles
Glenarm Castle | Shaped by Sea and Stone

The Witches of Islandmagee

The Witches of Islandmagee

In 1711, decades after the famous Salem witch trials shocked America, a similar furore rocked lovely Islandmagee, where the spectacular Gobbins Cliff Path now attracts visitors from around the world.

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History
The Witches of Islandmagee | Shaped by Sea and Stone
Food and Drink
A Taste of Tradition | Shaped by Sea and Stone

Don’t just stay. Experience

Don’t just stay. Experience

Lighthouse keepers’ houses, 19th-century follies and haunted hotels. It’s only natural that this unique part of the world has some unique places to stay.

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Quirky Lodgings
Don’t just stay. Experience  | Shaped by Sea and Stone
Meet Raymond
The Londonderry Arms | Shaped by Sea and Stone

Galgorm

Galgorm

Set amidst woodland on the banks of the plunging River Maine, Galgorm, is a part of our heritage, part of our natural world, but just on a higher plane of indulgence! This internationally renowned spa hotel welcomes guests to wander its 163 acres, relax in wood-fired hot tubs overlooking the river or in tranquil garden settings. 

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Relaxation
Galgorm Resort & Spa | Shaped by Sea and Stone

Explore more of Mid & East Antrim