Rathlin Island

Rathlin Island lies six kilometres off the Antrim coast and is Northern Ireland’s only inhabited offshore island. The reverse L-shaped island measures four kilometres east to west and two and a half north to south. Its highest point, Slieveard, rises 134 metres above sea level. The island is 29 kilometres from the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland. It forms part of the Causeway Coast and Glens council area. The island supports a small community of around 141 people. Census figures show 57.5 per cent of islanders were brought up Catholic and 19.9 per cent Protestant or other Christian denominations. Thirty-two per cent claim some knowledge of Irish and 21 per cent some knowledge of Ulster Scots. Irish was spoken on Rathlin for most of the last 2,500 years before English replaced it during the 19th century. The last native Irish speakers died in the 1950s and 1960s. Visitors reach the island by ferry from Ballycastle. The main settlement is Church Bay on the island’s east coast. The cliffs reach 70 metres in height and host tens of thousands of seabirds. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds manages a nature reserve on the North Cliffs. Northern Ireland’s only breeding pair of red-billed choughs can be seen in summer. Bruce’s Cave is named after Robert the Bruce, who reportedly took inspiration from a spider seen here.