Belfast & beyond: Whiskey aficionados & Thronies must go on the stunning Antrim coast drive

Antrim Coast Road, Drains Bay, Northern Ireland. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

I often get asked by travellers headed to Ireland if it’s worth accommodating Belfast and Northern Ireland into their itinerary. My response is always a resounding yes with a proviso — make sure you are up to a self-drive trip from Belfast. I didn’t drive too far from Belfast but there were more rewarding stops in one day than many of the long coastal drives that I have embarked on across the world. This was the setting for the first couple of seasons of Game of Thrones, it’s home to the oldest whiskey distillery in the world and a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage site. It all begins in Belfast:

My favourite whiskey bar in the whole world

A bomb went off here in 1973. You’re unlikely to find more whiskies or fascinating tales that surround any whisky bar. It’s in the heart of Belfast’s swish Half Bap Area. The 2020s are a different time from ‘The Troubles’ that probably peaked in the 1970s when the IRA and the UK government were at loggerheads. A bomb that was intended for another location accidentally went off at this historic bar and almost shut it down forever. The bar has been restored and it’s a refreshing change from the modern bars that seem to have taken over the scene. Expect a traditional Belfast welcome of music, humour and craic (a widely used term in these parts for a good time).

The Titanic connection

Titanic Belfast is a visitor attraction opened in 2012, a monument to Belfast's maritime heritage on the site of the former Harland & Wolff shipyard in the city's Titanic Quarter where the RMS Titanic was built. It tells the stories of the Titanic. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

Belfast was once the hub of the shipbuilding industry in Europe. The Titanic is probably the most iconic ship that ever rolled out of the Belfast harbour more than a century ago. The museum is immersive and allows you to come to terms with the sheer scale and grandeur of the world’s most romanticised luxury liner.

The Castle Ward area

Castle Ward, Northern Ireland. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

It’s not just Game of Thrones that begins in Winterfell Castle, the filming (first with the pilot episode) for the show began in the Castle Ward area. The HBO production team re-worked an old tower structure, adding temporary structures to build Winterfell. It’s now become a hub for thronies who pose with cloaks and also try their hand at archery, Winterfell style. You can use Castle Ward as your base to explore (on a bicycle) Audley’s Field that was used as the location for Robb Stark’s camp or head to another spot — River Quoile, used for battle scenes.

The legend of King Bruce of Scotland

Murlough Bay, Northern Ireland. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The Murlough Bay area is best known for Rathlin Island where Scotland’s King Bruce took inspiration from an unrelenting spider to plot his comeback and regain his kingdom in the 14th Century. Murlough Bay — depicted as Iron Islands in the show, promises panoramic ocean views on a clear day. If you have some spare time, take the ferry to Rathlin Island where King Bruce’s legend lives on.

The Stormlands, Cushendun caves

Stormlands, Cushendun caves, Northern Ireland.

This beach was used to film one of the most memorable, eerie scenes in Season 2 — where Melissa gives birth to a ‘shadowy’ baby on the edge of the ocean. These caves with a tinge of green have been formed by extreme weather in these parts over millions of years and were off the radar until filming took place here.  Do walk the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, that has been a lifeline for Salmon farmers in the region for centuries. This narrow bridge over the ocean is not for the weak hearted.

The Dark Hedges

Dark Hedges near Armoy, Antrim, Northern Ireland. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

When the Stuart family planted an avenue full of beech trees in the 18th Century in a bid to create an impressive pathway to their manor — Gracehill house, they would not have imagined it would become one of Ireland’s most photographed roads. This photogenic, tree-lined avenue (Bregagh Road in Ballymoney) came to be known as the Dark Hedges, almost sinister enough to become the setting for ‘Kings Road’ in the show. Do drive to Ballintoy (about 15 minutes away), that you might recognise as Lordsport harbour (Iron Islands) in Game of Thrones. It’s one of the oldest working harbours in Europe.

A UNESCO World heritage site

Giant's Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Northern Ireland. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Giant’s Causeway is probably the most popular stop along Ireland’s Antrim coast. It’s a complex grid of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns caused by volcanic eruptions (mostly hexagonal in shape) that form a steppingstone pattern from the cliff till they disappear into the sea. This is now a UNESCO World heritage site. I’d also suggest a stop at Dunluce castle, an abandoned castle that is on the edge of the ocean and close to the world’s oldest Whiskey distillery.

One for the road

Bushmills town centre, Northern Ireland. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Bushmills is recognised as the world’s first distillery with a royal permit sanctioned by King James I in 1608. The one-hour factory tour is capped with a tasting session where you can choose a free sample of one of their finest whiskies; I’d recommend their 10-Year-old. The perfect finish to one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world.