Saturday 16th September
The weather was due to change around 11 o’clock so we knew we had to be up early to avoid the crowds and the rain, if we were to make the most of Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge experience. A National Trust location, meant our membership cards were useful again. We arrived at the location in Ballintoy, which was only a short journey along the Causeway Coastal route. A new timed ticket system is now in operation, and for the moment is not bookable online. Your ticket has an hour window in which to reach the bridge. Once on the island, you are welcome to spend as much time as you like there.
From the kiosk where you purchase your tickets, it is a 1 km walk to the rope bridge and over to Carrick Island. There are some steep steps down and back on the journey, so be prepared. Along the walk are some super views out to sea over Larrybane Bay and Sheep Island, as well as Rathlin Island. If you’re lucky you might even spot some basking sharks, dolphins or porpoises.
Ray took the challenge first, although for him it didn’t pose a problem. For me it was a lot more daunting. The metal steps down to the rope bridge were fairly steep and when the wind is whistling, you need to hold on to the handrails. A steward is located at the top of the stairs here and another on the other side of the bridge. Not that made me any less nervous. A limited number of people are allowed on the bridge at any one time.
The Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge is 20 metres long and is 30 metres above the rocks below. (If you look back through archive footage, you find it hard to believe that for 350 years, salmon fisherman, made this trip across to the island on far flimsier attempts at a rope bridge). I didn’t even notice there were rocks below! My eyes were firmly fixed on the steward on the other side! I must admit it was exhilarating to make it to the other side.
After some time taking in the views from the island we queued to make the journey back across the bridge. This wasn’t quite so scary but had to be done to get back to the car park! I would have been okay, apart from some bright spark who thought it would be fun to bounce up and down behind me! He soon realised if he didn’t stop I wasn’t going anywhere!
Unfortunately, due to the rain, the coastal walk wasn’t possible so we made our way back to the car.
We did it!
