About the Area

Stretching from Belfast Lough to Lough Foyle the Causeway Coast and Glens is a unique area full of contrasts with a character all its own. It includes the Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland's only World Heritage site and one of only three in Ireland.

Ballygalley

It also includes three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and part of another: the Causeway Coast AONB, the Antrim Coast and Glens AONB, the Binevenagh AONB and part of Sperrin AONB. Recognised for its spectacular coastal scenery the area contains several Ramsar sites including Belfast Lough, Larne Lough, the Garron Plateau and Lough Foyle all of which are recognised as having international importance for bird life. The spectacular coastal scenery contrasts with the intimate landscape of the Glens of Antrim, the upland character of Binevenagh and the foothills of the Sperrins. The area also contains the fertile farmland of Mid Antrim and the Bann valley. Added to this Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland's only inhabited offshore island is situated within the Causeway Coast and Glens and is noted for its spectacular seabird colonies. With such a varied range of landscapes the biodiversity of the Causeway Coast and Glens area is understandably rich.

The Causeway Coast and Glens area is also steeped in history. With the longest settlement record in Ireland it is no surprise that the area boasts a rich archaeological heritage. There is a wealth of scheduled monuments and historic monuments within the Causeway Coast and Glens. This includes over 2000 listed buildings and 12 conservation areas including the coastal villages of Glenarm, Carnlough, Cushendall, Cushendun and Ballycastle. Other unique settlements include for example Carrickfergus, Merville Garden City, the Moravian village of Gracehill, the Victorian railway town of Whitehead and the village of Bushmills with its famous distillery.

Rathlin Island

The area also has a rich cultural heritage with a strong oral and musical tradition which draws from the folklore and legends of the area. With the Mull of Kintyre only 12 miles away, the Scottish influence has been particularly strong and is reflected in dialect, place names, music and song particularly around the Glens of Antrim, the Braid Valley and North Antrim. North Derry has its own close associations with Donegal whilst other parts of the area inland from Limavady and Coleraine associate more closely with the Sperrins. As a further contrast the Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey areas link closely with Greater Belfast whilst the Lower Bann has associations with Lough Neagh.

Economically Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey, Ballymena and Coleraine are all important as both business and retail centres. In addition to this Larne is one of Northern Ireland's main ferry ports. Ferry access is also available to the region from Donegal via Magilligan and until recently from Scotland via Ballycastle. Eglinton airport is situated in the North West close to Limavady. Farming is an important industry within the area. Whilst arable farming predominates in North Derry, potatoes are an important crop within other parts of the region. Dairy farming is important in the lowland areas whilst upland areas such as the Glens of Antrim, North Derry and the Sperrins are noted for sheep farming.

One of the main industries in the area is tourism. Tourism is an important employer throughout the area but particularly on the North Coast which includes the resorts of Portstewart, Portrush and Ballycastle. However the most popular visitor attraction is the Giant's Causeway which attracts almost 500,000 visitors each year.