Giant’s Causeway is located at the North East tip of Ireland and is a World Heritage site because of its key role in the history of humankind. Visitors will see rare animals and plants in their natural habitat. Giant’s Causeway was first discovered and reported in 1693 in a paper presentation by Sir Richard Bulkeley to the Royal Society.
History
Though Bulkeley made the presentation, the Causeway was discovered by the Bishop of Derry in 1692. In 1697 a designer of sorts was sent to the “Natural Curiosity” to make sketches.
The Causeway set off a storm of arguments about whether it was created by nature, men with tools, or actual giants. In 1740 Susanna Drury, an artist, spent months at the Causeway drawing. Due to her drawings, the Causeway became a part of the Grand Tour. In 1771 Demarest, a Frenchman concluded that the Causeway was created as a result of volcanic activity.
The Giant’s Causeway was added to the list of World Heritage sites in November of 1986. It is listed as both a natural and cultural site and is one of just twenty-five in the entire world that has been given this ranking. The two criteria for this that the Causeway meets are that it is key specimen of the evolutionary history of the earth through the tertiary epoch and it encompasses rare and unmatched examples of natural phenomena. Its cultural value comes from the wreck of Girona.
Things to Do
There are many sights and places for visitors to see and explore on the Giant’s Causeway.
Visitor’s Center- The Visitor’s Center features exhibitions, trails, audio guides, and cliff top walks that allow visitors to explore this World Heritage site. Interactive activities and displays in the center give and animated retelling of the legend of the Giant Finn McCool. The center also features exhibits on the science that created the site and stories about the locals connected with the site.
Local Wildlife- Visitors can explore the local wildlife native to the Giant’s Causeway. The are is rife with sea birds like the petrel, shag, fulmar, cormorant, razorbill, and redshank guillemot. Wagtails and rock pippits can be observed on the shoreline and visitors will see eider ducks in the more sheltered waters. Several rare plants make their home on the Causeway such as hare’s foot trefoil, sea spleenwort, sea fescue, the frog orchid, and vernal squill and in the summer huge areas of sea campion.
Walks- The Giant’s Causeway offers several different trails for visitors to enjoy the sights fount at this World Heritage Site.
· Giant’s Causeway Walk- Visitors can approach the Giant’s Causeway through two different routes. One way to reach it is directly from the road on foot or making use of the Ulsterbus service that is seasonal. Visitors can also choose to take the longer circular trail that runs along the cliff paths which takes them to Shepherd’s Steps and back.
· The Organ to Reostan- The columns on the cliff-face can be explored via a lower path from the Giant’s Causeway or Shepherd’s Steps. The trail takes visitors a further five hundred meters to the Point Reostan lookout. Visitors that choose this path will get to view the “Giant’s Eyes” which are oval shaped depressions of iron ore in a reddish color where boulders have fallen.
· Runkerry Circuit- Visitors that choose this trail will follow the path on the cliff top west, passing the Runkerry House and Causeway Hotel. This route showcases two stockproof gates and stairs. Visitors will enjoy and bays and cliffs and the views of Portrush and Donegal the offer. Visitors can return from this area through use of the tram track that goes back to the Visitor’s Center
· Dunseverick Castle- Visitors that choose this route will begin at the end farthest from the Causeway in a car park on a road below the Visitor Center parking lots. This path is known as the Causeway Coast Path and it runs along the tram track until it comes within sight of the bridge that spans the River Bush. Way markers found along the path will direct visitors to the footbridge at the river mouth. The path continues uphill and a parking lot at Portballintrae.
· Portballintrae- Visitors that choose path will enjoy a longer hike following the cliff tops. The path is narrow in spots and can be slippery. Visitors will enjoy the breathtaking scenery from the cliff tops which include a view of the site of the Girona wreck.
Tours- The Giant’s Causeway is a stop on several of the tours offered of Ireland for visitors. More information about these tours can be obtained from the website.