In the harbour car park, a plaque at the foot of a rock pinnacle commemorates the day in 1898 when Guglielmo Marconi's assistants contacted Rathlin Island by radio from Ballycastle to prove to Lloyds of London that wireless communication was a viable proposition. The idea was to send notice to London or Liverpool of ships arriving safely after a transatlantic crossing – most vessels on this route would have to pass through the channel north of Rathlin.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
13.42 MILES
This medieval castle ruin is perched on top of a dramatic cliffside overlooking the glorious Causeway Coast.
11.14 MILES
This spectacular rock formation – Northern Ireland's only Unesco World Heritage site – is one of Ireland's most impressive and atmospheric landscape…
4.79 MILES
This 20m-long, 1m-wide bridge of wire rope spans the chasm between the sea cliffs and the little island of Carrick-a-Rede, swaying 30m above the rock…
22.88 MILES
In 1774, the bishop of Derry (fourth earl of Bristol, Frederick Augustus Hervey), built a palatial home amid a 160-hectare demesne. The house burnt down…
Rathlin West Light Seabird Centre
6.63 MILES
This Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) centre offers spectacular views of a thriving seabird colony, where every summer thousands of…
29.71 MILES
Nobel Prize–winning poet Seamus Heaney's home town of Bellaghy, 54km northwest of Belfast, is the location of a wonderful museum and arts centre…
11.11 MILES
Bushmills is the world's oldest licensed distillery, having been given permission to produce whiskey by King James I in 1608. The whiskey is made with…
29.08 MILES
There were once no fewer than 32 distilleries around Campbeltown, but most closed in the 1920s. Today this is one of only three still in operation. It is…
Nearby Ballycastle attractions
2.53 MILES
On a limestone headland jutting out from the basalt cliffs, with stupendous views of Rathlin Island and Scotland, this castle, now ruined, was built in…
4.79 MILES
This 20m-long, 1m-wide bridge of wire rope spans the chasm between the sea cliffs and the little island of Carrick-a-Rede, swaying 30m above the rock…
6.09 MILES
South of the harbour, this combined visitor centre/museum details the fascinating history, culture and ecology of Rathlin Island, and can give advice on…
4. Rathlin West Light Seabird Centre
6.63 MILES
This Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) centre offers spectacular views of a thriving seabird colony, where every summer thousands of…
7.51 MILES
Planted by the Stuart family in the 18th century as the formal entrance to their property, these shadowy, gnarled, entwined beech trees are now among…
10.97 MILES
From the car park beside the beach (follow the golf-club signs), a coastal path leads 1km north to the picturesque ruins of Layd Old Church, with views…
7. Giant's Causeway Visitor Experience
11.08 MILES
Built into the hillside and walled with tall black basalt slabs that mimic the basalt columns of the Causeway, the Giant's Causeway Visitor Experience…
11.11 MILES
Bushmills is the world's oldest licensed distillery, having been given permission to produce whiskey by King James I in 1608. The whiskey is made with…