Glens of Antrim

The Glens of Antrim form a region of nine narrow valleys that cut through County Antrim’s Antrim Plateau down to the north coast. These glens stretch from the interior to the sea, each with its own character and settlement. Locally they are simply called the Glens, an area widely known for its natural beauty. The landscape draws visitors to its wooded slopes, rushing burns and coastal views. Ballycastle, Cushendun, Cushendall, Waterfoot, Carnlough and Glenarm lie along the glens’ edges. The glens have a long history tied to powerful families. From the mid-13th century the Anglo-Norman Bissett family held the lordship until the late 14th century. John Mor Macdonald, second son of the Lord of the Isles, married Margery Bissett and gained the title Lord of Dunyvaig and the Glens. Artefacts from the Neolithic period have been found at sites such as Bay Farm II and Madman’s Window. The region also appears in Irish song and literature, including the air The Green Glens of Antrim. A walker can follow paths through Glenariff Forest Park or trace the nine glens from north to south. Glenravel, sometimes counted as a tenth glen, lies southwest of Glenariff and holds small villages like Cargan, Martinstown and Skerry. The glens’ mix of woodland, waterfalls and coastal inlets offers quiet places to explore. Local history societies preserve stories of the Bissett and MacDonnell families. Visitors often hear the glens mentioned in songs such as Ireland’s Call.