Northern Ireland

dunelm
dunelm Forum Participant Posts: 373
edited May 2015 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

In May we had 2 weeks in Northern Ireland in our camper van and had a great time. I am posting this thread because we enjoyed it so much yet met very few other English visitors  (and only one  English couple on a campsite). It may be that many folks have not considered NI as a holiday destination.

Highlights were The Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, Rathlin Island, The Derry Story at the Tower Museum, The Ulster American Folk Park, Devenish Island (Enniskillen), The Celtic Saints Garden (Irvinestown), Titanic Belfast including the dock and pump room, Belfast City Sightseeing bus tour,  tours of Stormont and Belfast City Hall.

Initially we stayed at a great CL less than 3 miles from The Giant's Causeway which meant that we were at the Visitors' Centre when it opened and were able to do the audio-tour and visit the Causeway before the crowds - having photos of it with no one else in shot!

The Ulster Ameican Folk Park is the only open air museum where we have started in Europe, gone onto an emigrants' ship and got off in America!

Tourist Information Centres provide excellent free books about each county. All the people we met were very friendly and helpful. It really is a great place to visit.

Apart from the site on  the shore of Belfast Lough which was a 35 minutes bus ride into Belfast  (£3.90 for a day pass) and cost £21 for hardstanding with EHU all other sites were  £14/15 for the same with the exception of one CL which cost £10.

Prior to crossing to NI we had 9 days in Dumrfies and Galloway (another area well worth exploring though often ignored) including stays at the exellent value Club sites at Garlieston and New England Bay.