During the 4.5 mile bus journey from Rathlin Island's harbour to its Seabird Centre, a recording plays facts and figures about the island. The modest, boomerang-shaped outpost has a pub, a small seasonal hotel, a few B&Bs and a post office. It has a population of around 150 and three lighthouses - one of them 'upside down', with its light at the base of the tower. The island is encircled by fast tides and deep seas popping with plankton. These combine with the craggy cliffs to create perfect conditions for passing whales, basking sharks and seabird colonies.
Rathlin has its share of legends, too. On clear days, you can see the Mull of Kintyre (just 11 miles away), and Robert the Bruce (1274-1329) is said to have fled across the sea here during the fight for Scottish independence. Hiding himself in a cave, he watched a spider trying and failing to make a web, before eventually succeeding. Inspired to carry on, he returned to Scotland.
This story is from the UK and Ireland 2023 edition of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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This story is from the UK and Ireland 2023 edition of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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