Carrick-A-Rede

Carrick A Rede rope bridge is 20m long and suspended 30m high — connecting a tiny wee island with the Causeway coast in County Antrim.
It was a beautiful day when I visited — just as well, as the bridge is closed to the public when the wind hits 20 mph.
The original bridge was erected 350 years ago and was used as an aid for smuggling — nowadays it has sheep and is a bird sanctuary.
Gone are the days of rotting bits of wood, being held together with frayed rope — now the entire bridge is reinforced with steel rope, securely fixed on either side. The walkway is also properly planked — all nice and safe for the thousands of tourists that tread the boards each year. I don’t like heights, but was totally fine on this bridge — down to feeling completely safe on it.
If you’re brave, have a wee jump on it at the halfway point and feel it really sway — unfortunately, the folks on the bridge really, really didn’t appreciate it when I did it. Woops!

One of the highlights during my trip to Ireland — Carrick-​A-​Rede is on the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland with a rocky island connected to the cliffs by a rope bridge. The bridge is about 66ft long, suspended above the rocks and sea level (about 100ft) and is a popular tourist attraction on the North Coast.
Carrick-​A-​Rede has the most beautiful views of the Antrim coastline, which started even before I crossed the rope bridge. I was lucky to get a sunny day end of March during my visit here, and the scenery was absolutely amazing. The weather was fantastic, the sun was shining, and the sky was so clear you could see Scotland.
The walk to get to the bridge from the visitor center takes around 20 minutes and it is a bit tiring — there are steep hills and steps to climb so be prepared. The walk and views are just stunning — I think the walk improves the experience as you get to enjoy all the great views before the bridge.
The bridge itself is not very big and they only let 8 people at a time cross. It’s a rope bridge and it is dangling over the coastline but it’s safe. I am terribly afraid of heights — so this was quite an exhilarating experience. Crossing the rope bridge can be a little scary as it sways and you hear the waves swishing down below you, but I enjoyed every second of it. Once you cross (it takes maybe 30 seconds) there are places to sit and rocks to climb for pictures. The scenery is breath taking — well worth the hike!
You can get to the bridge for free but if you want to go across — its £5.90, which is a bit overpriced in my opinion for a 30 second dash. However, I really enjoyed this experience and it was one of our favorite memories from our trip. I could have stayed there all day looking at the water, taking pictures, walking along the whole island, and just enjoyed the sight of the ocean.
It’s a must when visiting Northern Ireland.