Exploring Ireland’s Coast

St. Mary’s, the largest of the five inhabited islands that make up The Isles of Scilly archipelago, offers a fascinating heritage, where traces of life go back at least eight centuries. The entire archipelago is a designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Marine Conservation Zone, where there is an abundance of marine life and migrant birds, such as Atlantic grey seals, gannets and comorants, and even puffins, from April onwards.

The Skelligs are a magnificent rock formation situated off Ireland’s southwest coast. The jagged cliffs and rock faces, huts, oratories and crosses of the beautifully preserved, UNESCO-listed Christian monastery on Skellig Michael – the largest of the two islands, are home to vast colonies of puffins and other sea birds. Both this and the neighbouring island of Little Skellig were said by the playwright George Bernard Shaw to be an ‘incredible, impossible, mad place’ due to its remoteness and wildlife.

Inishnabro is an incredible rock formation crafted by that Mother Nature to rival the grandeur of even the most magnificent gothic-style architectural wonders. One of the rugged Blasket Islands, just off County Kerry in Ireland, and known as Cathedral Rocks, its towering sea stacks resemble church spires reaching out of the Atlantic Ocean. Birdlife is in abundance here, with fulmars, shags, puffins and Max Shearwaters the main inhabitants.

At the westernmost point of Ireland’s Blasket archipelago lies the island of Tearaght, a craggy, uninhabited rock formation steeped in mystery. Rarely visited, the only people who land here by helicopter are engineers tasked with keeping the lighthouse operating. A scenic cruise past this saddle-shaped wonder is a unique opportunity to see it in all its dramatic glory. The island provides the perfect habitat for various seabird species, which nest, live and colonise here, particularly puffins and storm petrals.

The Cliffs of Moher sit alongside the unique landscape of the Burren on one side and the Wild Atlantic Ocean on the other. Rising out of the Atlantic and running along the coast of Clare for almost 8 miles, the cliffs were formed over 320 million years ago, and today form part of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. 30,000 pairs of seabirds nest at the cliffs during the breeding season, where the site is also home to rare wildflowers.

Marking the halfway point on the 2,500-kilometre-long Wild Atlantic Way, Galway is considered to be one of the jewels of Western Ireland. Known as the ‘City of the Tribes’, due to merchant families running the town in the 15th century, Galway still holds many structures dating back to those times. Nowadays, the city is a continuing to thrive as a centre for culture and the arts, with its University and many festivals.

Located on the Donegal Wild Atlantic Way, Killybegs is famous for its maritime culture, having been the last port of call for the galleon ‘Girona’ in 1588, before she sank after encountering a severe storm. Close by to the town is The Shannon Estuary, home to bottlenose dolphins; and Killybegs is seen as gateway to the rugged beauty of Malin Head, at the very end of the Wild Atlantic Way, recognised as the edge of Europe.

Part of the Inner Hebrides, lying just south of the Isle of Skye, are the Small Isles. Comprised of four beautiful islands; Eigg, Rum, Canna and Muck, they are all famed for their dramatic scenery, variety of wildlife and natural wonders. Mighty volcanic peaks surround Kinlock Castle on the largest island, Rum. The basalt cliffs of Canna, charming villages of Eigg, and Muck’s fertile lowlands and beautiful beaches make this archipelago the perfect scenic cruising destination.

Bac Mòr is one of the most striking and iconic Scottish Treshnish Isles near Mull and is located a few miles west of Staffa and Iona. Affectionately referred to as The Dutchman’s Cap due to its unusual shape, Bac Mòr has a height of 283 feet, and its flat surroundings resemble glassy lava fields. The Treshnish Isles were formed 60 million years ago when volcanic eruptions on the nearby island of Mull caused lava to flow into the sea.

Created around 60 million years ago, and said to be the corresponding piece of road built by the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill, to the UNESCO-listed Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, Fingal’s Cave is a basalt sea-cave with distinctive columns and a remarkable symmetry. Looming 69 metres out of the ocean, it appears to look like a piece of contemporary art, but is completely shaped by nature. Often, the cliffs and ledges are covered with native seabirds, including guillemots, razorbills and puffins.

The island of Iona, located in the Inner Hebrides may be physically small, at just 1.5 miles wide by 3 miles long, but as the ‘The Cradle of Christianity in Scotland’ it has a big place in British history, religion and spirituality. The highlight is Iona Abbey, one of Europe’s oldest Christian centres and said to be the final resting place of 48 medieval kings, including the eleventh-century king Macbeth of Shakespearean fame.

Belfast has many strong maritime links, most notably being home to the Harland & Wolff shipyard, where the iconic RMS Titanic was built. Construction began here in 1909, designed to meet the highest of standards, before she set sail on her infamous maiden voyage from Southampton on 10th April 1912. Belfast is also the starting point for visiting the impressive rock formation on the north coast, Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986.