At the end of our trip through Scotland, we’re heading on towards Northern Ireland in summer 2026. Rathlin Island was right at the top of our wish list of Northern Irish places we absolutely wanted to visit. Not least because of the puffins.
🧠Where exactly?
- Island north of Ballycastle
- Rathlin, Northern Ireland UK
âš“ Why we love this place
Rathlin Island is a small island off the north-east coast of Northern Ireland. It’s surrounded by strong tidal currents, as the water is forced through the narrow Rathlin Sound and the not-much-wider North Channel. Around 150 people live there permanently. There’s a mini supermarket, a restaurant, a small bistro, and a pub. Basically everything you need for life.
A small ferry runs several times a day from Ballycastle and back. It’s precisely this remoteness that makes the place so special. Not many campervans, no cruise ships, few cars. Even the seabird centre at the lighthouse, where you can see puffins from April to August, felt like ours alone, even in July.
⛵For those arriving by their own boat
Church Bay Harbour (055Âş 17.535′ N 006Âş 11.616′ W)
- Location and Review see entry about Church Bay Harbour on Noforeignland
- Easily accessible harbour with solid pontoons and sufficient depth even for larger boats
- The sanitary building with toilets and showers is unfortunately open to the public, so it’s not particularly clean.
- Even though the harbour looks exposed, it’s actually fairly well protected.
- In the anchorage in Church Bay, it seems like there’s a lot of swell whatever the wind direction.
🏝️What you can do ashore
- Island tours either on foot (there are several walking trails) or by hire bike
- A bus ride to the seabird centre and a visit there. The bus always arrives when the ferry docks.
