Northern Ireland/Hebrides

"vreer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi

I plan to ride the Irish island next weeks and will arrive at Belfast Intl
airport. I'm wondering if there are good/beautiful routes along the
northcoast of (Northern) Ireland..
I want to continue through Donegal to Shannon as the take off point to the
continent.

The Antrim coast road is beautiful route. From the airport head north-east
towards Larne (there's loads of back roads to keep you off the main road).
Turn north on the B148 a couple of kms. before Larne. After about 10 kms. of
this you'll hit the coast road heading north. It's a gorgeous route (with a
couple of tough climbs after Cushendun) at least as far as Portrush, with
Murlough Bay and ,of course, The Giant's Causeway well worth a look.
After that you'd be heading through Coleraine and Derry on into Donegal -
I've never cycled that way but if it's beauty you're after Donegal's the
place.
As far as the Hebrides are concerned, there used to be a ferry between
Ballycastle and Campbeltown on Kintyre which could at least put you in the
right direction. However I can't seem to find details of this service so
maybe it's been axed.

tony R.

"> As far as the Hebrides are concerned, there used to be a ferry between

Quoted message said:

Ballycastle and Campbeltown on Kintyre which could at least put you in the
right direction. However I can't seem to find details of this service so
maybe it's been axed.

I believe that is cancelled. They are trying to find new operators for the
route.

I agree the north antrim coast is outstanding - nice people, great views.

The ferry links back from Ireland to Scotland go mainly from Belfast to
Stranraer. There are some options. You will need to get yourself from
Stranraer to the north. The train is an option.

Gavin

vreer said:

Hi

I plan to ride the Irish island next weeks and will arrive at Belfast
Intl
airport. I'm wondering if there are good/beautiful routes along the
northcoast of (Northern) Ireland..
I want to continue through Donegal to Shannon as the take off point to
the
continent.

I also wonder how difficult it will be to go to the Hebrides and
througth to
Scotland and maybe take there a plane back home

If anyone might have some useful information, taht would make me
grateful 🙂

Jude

There used to be a ferry from Ballycastle in Northern Ireland to
Campbelltown on the Mull of Kintyre. It makes an excellent link for a
celtic Tour.

Northern Ireland during the marching season can get a bit colourful and
things can fall apart a bit. We had a whole bunch of drunken orange men
wanting our address so that they could visit us.

--

J u l i a n

__o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

"Julian Symondson" wrote ...

Quoted message said:

vreer said:

Hi

I plan to ride the Irish island next weeks and will arrive at Belfast
Intl
airport. I'm wondering if there are good/beautiful routes along the
northcoast of (Northern) Ireland..
I want to continue through Donegal to Shannon as the take off point to
the
continent.

I also wonder how difficult it will be to go to the Hebrides and
througth to
Scotland and maybe take there a plane back home

If anyone might have some useful information, taht would make me
grateful 🙂

Jude

There used to be a ferry from Ballycastle in Northern Ireland to
Campbelltown on the Mull of Kintyre. It makes an excellent link for a
celtic Tour.

J u l i a n

__o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

The Ballycastle - Campbeltown ferry stopped running a few years ago, it
apparently was not profitable. Too bad, because it would have been perfect
for the OP's proposed tour. For that matter, it would have been perfect for
the tour that I finished a few weeks ago, which is why I spent so much time
on the web looking for information on it. There is a SeaCat ferry from
Belfast to Troon, and a Sustrans route from Troon to Ardrossan, where there
are ferries to Arran and onward through the Hebrides. I believe there are
also ferries from Larne to Scotland. www.directferries.co.uk has a very
comprehensive listing of ferry routes from Ireland to Scotland, along with
numerous other routes.
Caledonian MacBrayne (www.calmac.co.uk) have a network of ferry routes
throughout the Hebrides. The Island Hopscotch tickets are a good way to put
together a tour going from one island to the next. The Hopscotch tickets are
a few pounds cheaper than buying each ticket separately, and if you buy the
Hopscotch ticket your bicycle travels on the ferry for free instead of
paying one or two pounds extra.
--
mark

in message <opr81fe2uklihyoj@left>, Julian Symondson

(') said:

Northern Ireland during the marching season can get a bit colourful
and things can fall apart a bit. We had a whole bunch of drunken
orange men wanting our address so that they could visit us.

Yup. Avoid Northern Ireland during July and August. It is a deeply scary
place, with civil war just under the surface.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; When your hammer is C++, everything begins to look like a thumb.

Would add White Park Bay and Carrick-a- Rede rope bridge to Antrim.

On leaving Coleraine for Londonderry take the coastal route towards
Magilligan. There is a monster hill towards Downhill which leads straight to
the beach. This is one hill where I'd advise going very slowly, not because
it's so steep you're liable to crash into the railway, but it's so damn
beautiful.

If you want a really challenging hill to go up take the road almost at the
very bottom of the hill and cycle up and then across to the lake and
viewpoint on the top of Benevenagh mountain, well worth it. Alternatively,
go past the prison to Magilligan Point, lovely, with a ferry to Greencastle
in the summer.

The only other scenery on the way to Londonderry can be found by cycling
over the back roads after Greysteel towards Eglinton and then on towards
Carmoney, then it's a few miles to the city. If you've got the time go
through the city over the Craigavon Bridge and not around it on the 'new'
Foyle Bridge, the walls and the Church of Ireland Cathedral are worth a
look.

Personally I'd take the road to Culmore on leaving the city as Culmore Point
on the road to Muff (Yes, that really is it's name) is another pleasant
view. Carry on to Carrowkeel, Redcastle, Moville and Greencastle for more
fantastic views. You can continue on to Malin Head but it depends how much
of Ireland you want to see, it's a long way back to Letterkenny for the rest
of Donegal.
"tony R" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"vreer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi

I plan to ride the Irish island next weeks and will arrive at Belfast

Intl

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

airport. I'm wondering if there are good/beautiful routes along the
northcoast of (Northern) Ireland..
I want to continue through Donegal to Shannon as the take off point to

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

continent.

The Antrim coast road is beautiful route. From the airport head north-east
towards Larne (there's loads of back roads to keep you off the main road).
Turn north on the B148 a couple of kms. before Larne. After about 10 kms.

of

Quoted message said:

this you'll hit the coast road heading north. It's a gorgeous route (with

a

Quoted message said:

couple of tough climbs after Cushendun) at least as far as Portrush, with
Murlough Bay and ,of course, The Giant's Causeway well worth a look.
After that you'd be heading through Coleraine and Derry on into Donegal -
I've never cycled that way but if it's beauty you're after Donegal's the
place.
As far as the Hebrides are concerned, there used to be a ferry between
Ballycastle and Campbeltown on Kintyre which could at least put you in the
right direction. However I can't seem to find details of this service so
maybe it's been axed.

tony R.