Alphabet Angel

Explorer Tom Former National School in Bushmills has grown tired of that dodgy road leading up to it, probably thinking it's a glorified bus stop dressed up as heritage. It’s just sitting there judging your parking choices from the outside. Ideal stop for a big stretch and a bigger yawn.

Explorer Tom Clock Tower in Bushmills is ticking away and judging your life choices while you do it. It’s been running the square since forever, or at least until the battery died. Bring a friend who talks too much and let the place shut them up.

Explorer Tom If you ask me for a dram, first let me tell you about the water. Old Bushmills Distillery puts 1608 on the label, and there is a real royal licence from that year, but the company that built this distillery was founded in 1784. I like a date that makes you ask a second question. The water comes from Saint Columb's Rill, a branch of the River Bush, and the buildings had to be rebuilt after a fire in 1885. I would volunteer aboard that whiskey ship, but someone would have to trust me with the cargo. Five years later Bushmills even had its own steamship: it took whiskey across the Atlantic to Philadelphia and New York, then continued to Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Yokohama. That is a very long errand for a bottle. The distillery remains a working producer as well as a managed visitor attraction, so see it through the visitor arrangements rather than wandering into production areas. Look for the machinery and old buildings as well as the familiar brand. I came for a local story and found a passport full of ports.

Explorer Tom Runkerry Beach in County Antrim would win the county fair prize for 'Most Likely To Swallow Your Boots'. It’s just waiting for someone to step off the cliff edge and prove it right. Go in good boots and better humour.

Explorer Tom Lissanduff Earthworks above Portballintrae look like a pair of earthen rings drawn by a giant who misplaced the rest of his tea set. Locals call them the Cups and Saucers; I came armed with curiosity and, wisely, no plan to pour a lake into either cup. This is a monument in State Care, with two concentric earthwork enclosures, one wet and one dry. They overlook Bushfoot Strand and Runkerry Point. The regional visitor guide gives a public half-mile return route from the car park at the north end of Portballintrae, up a signed path and steps onto the banks. The route reaches the exact earthworks. Walk around the rings and the eye begins to understand why the local nickname stuck, though the monuments are more complicated than crockery. The guide calls attention to the different wet and dry enclosures and the broad coastal view. Resist the urge to climb or scrape the banks for a better photograph; earthworks keep their stories only while the earth stays where it belongs. My giant tea party is nonsense, not archaeology. Use the main car park by the River Bush and follow the sign uphill. The regional tourism office warns that an older approach from Lissanduff Avenue no longer gives access, so do not take a shortcut through private ground. The path has grass and steps, and weather can make the banks slippery. After your visit, return by the same route and look back towards the strand; even my giant would have needed a very large window to match that view.

Explorer Tom Portballintrae Beach is the small sandy pause at the heart of a village that gives its harbour much of the conversation. The bigger drama of Runkerry Strand and the Giant's Causeway lies nearby, but this cove deserves its own visit. Tom can announce a grand expedition across it if he likes; the distance is modest, and that is part of the charm. The 2026 Causeway Coast visitor guide describes a beach beside the village's harbour, with parking, toilets, a shop and a picnic area close by. Boats and water activities give the harbour a working feel even when the sand is quiet. The village also has a remarkable connection to the Spanish Armada: treasure from La Girona, wrecked in 1588, was recovered by divers in the 1960s and brought ashore here. The objects are now in Belfast's Ulster Museum, so do not expect to find them under a bucket on the beach. There are longer walks close at hand. A marked coastal route begins at Portballintrae's seafront car park, crosses the River Bush and passes dunes and Runkerry Head towards the Giant's Causeway. Runkerry is a separate beach with rip currents and is not recommended for bathing or water sports by the visitor guide. Keeping those two stretches distinct matters more than the place names might suggest at first glance. Come to Portballintrae's own beach for the village shore and harbour, then choose a separate walk if you have time and suitable shoes. Check tide and weather before crossing exposed sand, and use the signed path for the Causeway route. Parking and village facilities make the short visit straightforward. A little beach with a shipwreck story in the background does not have to shout to be memorable.

Explorer Tom Runkerry Stand is officially certified by me as having the longest sandcastle collapse in County Antrim history, though locals claim it's actually a rabbit runway. It’s got that classic 'I’ve seen things' vibe without ever leaving the shore. Walk past slowly like you're in a film.

Explorer Tom Giant’s Causeway Visitor Experience cost eighteen and a half million pounds, which is enough to buy a lot of biscuits if you're not careful. I swear there's a hidden treasure inside that's definitely just an old biscuit tin, so tell your mates you found it first before anyone else gets the credit.

Explorer Tom Billy Church would survive a zombie attack by locking the door and hiding in the sacristy. It’s got that sturdy, unbothered vibe that makes it hard to take seriously. Best visited with a curious kid and no timetable at all.

Explorer Tom The Blue Trail at Giant's Causeway has been in a feud with the next village over something daft, like who invented the concept of wet socks. Go on, count the windows and get it wrong like I did.

Explorer Tom Red Trail at Giant's Causeway is plotting its retirement by turning into a gravel pit so no one has to climb those steep steps anymore. It’s uneven, rocky, and basically a stairwell with an attitude problem that will test your knees. Mind the nettles, they're the real guards here.

Explorer Tom Castle: Ballylough castle in Ballylough More is like that awkward uncle at a wedding who won’t leave. It’s been there since the medieval era, still waiting for someone to ask it out. Practise your Irish on it, it won't correct you.