rathlin island

i visited rathlin island for a day trip. what a gorgeous Island. lovely for nice long walks. with a small bus you can let you drive around the island to see everything interesting. the bus lady was a charming lady. she explained us and showed us a lot. we got to see a lot of sea lions in nature.its very interesting to see how people manage their life there cut off from main land. a quiet unspoilt little island and a dream for bird lovers.

Loved the walks, birds and people. There are people trying hard to make a living here and I don't blame them. I'm sure one could live very happily here.

This island off the coast of Northern Ireland is quite historic. It is the closet point to Scotland and has History going back thousands of years. The village is still a quiet unspoilt place. We loved it but there is not a lot there in terms of "tourist activities". A hidden gem if you want some lovely views and quiet walks. Try the fish and chip shop up past the tourist information and museum - brilliant!

We have just had a lovely weekend on Rathlin Island. Beautiful scenery and great hospitality provided by Hilary and Alan.

Did not previously know of Rathlin. What a gorgeous spot! A lovely boat ride across and we were blessed with stunning weather. We too the bus tour which for £5 was well worth it. There is no way we could have seen so much by ourselves. It was also really good to have basically a private Q $A with the bus lady who was most knowledgeable. Not to be missed!

Amazing scenery, fresh air, friendly hosts and locals. Only a short trip via ferry from Ballycastle. http://www.rathlinballycastleferry.com/tr/index.php?id=17If you enjoy walking, there are numerous posted trails across the island with breathtaking scenery.

Tranquility and peace . Beautiful walks but can be tiring although tour bus at hand and cycle hiring if thats your cup of tea! Wonderful scenery and nature on your doorstep. Beach and playground for the nippers and outdoor gym and football pitch all at hand. Island bar and two shops but now all on winter timetable as are the ferries but still a lovely place for a peaceful retreat!

Had a nice wee visit to rathlin island but sadly i took ill when i got here my appendix started to leek and i didnt get to see much of the tour that my group went on but from what i saw it was a very nice place and and interesting visit

A small group of coworkers visited Rathlin Island together. We all enjoyed the beautiful scenery, which varies considerably from one place to another. We enjoyed a pint and a snack at the pub where we had great service despite the crowd due to the torrential rain. If you're looking for high tech, fancy activities, by all means avoid Rathlin Island. If you're looking for beautiful scenery, great hikes, and a peek at some wildlife, Rathlin Island is for you.

This is our third visit to the beautiful Rathlin Island and I just fall in love with it more and more each time. The peace and tranquility has to be experienced to be believed. The moment you step off the ferry you leave all the hustle and bustle of everyday life behind you and Rathlin wraps you in its own unique magic and charm. Despite the fact that it was raining when we were there, the beauty of the place was not diminished. The scenery is breathtaking and you automatically relax. We had no television, no mobiles, no distractions and, we didn't miss them! Go and visit this hidden gem.

Stay clear of the puffin bus !! My day trip to rathlin ireland was ruined my a bus driver by the name of Bert who was joke , before I got on the bus with him I asked him would he stop for iime to take photos , he stops once for 10 mins was in a hurry back to pick up his other bus load ; I was promised that I would see puffins , seals , lighthouses --nope I did not Bert did take me almost to a light and told me he could not drive the bus near it because of rain the night before I asked him how far for me to walk bert said 5 mile , I found out later I was 1 mile from lighthouse ,

We just spent a few hours on the island during our visit to the Antrim Coast. The weather behaved and we had a lovely crossing on the slow ferry. Just as we arrived on Rathlin the skies opened and we saw the Puffin bus so it seemed a good idea to climb onboard and see the sights from it rather than walk around in the rain. There was a lovely lady driver and a very friendly crowd on the bus so it proved a lovely way to see the island as she drove us from one end to the other stopping at the bird sanctuary for about 20 minutes to see the puffins and other sea birds.By this time the sun had appeared and the view back to the Antrim coast and over to the Scottish coast was breathtaking. For 5 pounds the trip was great we all felt as we got to see several interesting places on the way. Then it was back to the bar - McCuigs? - for tea and scones which I really enjoyed. Very relaxed place with plenty of outdoor seating. We spent the rest of the time until the fast ferry back relaxing on the seafront and another lovely trip on the sea to Ballycastle. It was a lovely day out on Rathlin.

Recently our walking group, five ladies, all retired, took the fast boat to Rathlin.As arranged, we were met by Alan and taken off to our first treat of the day, Hilary's excellent scones, and coffee.We were then taken off to the Rue Lighthouse in Alan's jeep, or on foot and all spent some time watching the seals there and listening to them sing!On the way back we met Alan again at Ushet Lough.He set our posh picnic table with beautiful linen table cloth and napkins, proper cutlery and glasses,opened the wine and proceeded to serve us with platters of the freshest possible mackerel, followed by Glenarm salmon accompanied by a beautiful creamy potato bake and lots of delicious salads.Passers-by looked on enviously as we enjoyed our gourmet meal in the glorious sunshine!Later he returned to clear away and bring the less fit back to the harbour.And finally back there we polished off Hilary's beautiful panacotta with raspberries.It was a perfect Rathlin day and we finally staggered onto the boat, vowing not to eat again for a week!

Why go to a remote island and expect all the amenities of the overdeveloped mainland? The people who live there probably hate the commercial exploitation and feel complete hypocrits - only doing it to have a little more in their pockets to live on. Why should they bloody like you and serve on you hand and foot. Recognise what a pain in the r's you are and start by apologising for your presence. Don't complain - you can stay at home if it doesn't suit you. I can understand exactly where they are coming from - Guernsey was once a real place and not the 'Disneyworld' it now is. Please don't say you are helping them by being there as you aren't -you are just leading them into another new form of commercial slavery. Their obvious disgruntlement is probably the only chance that these last few remaining spots and their folk have of not becoming just one more Corporate machine's slave group...

Rathlin Island promised walks, wildlife and scenery, and we rather hoped also a welcome from the local community. The trip to and from the island was great, fast and comfortable powerboat with polite and friendly crew. The weather was grim with hurricane Bertha having her final twist. So lots of rain, wind and poor visibility. Well that's tough but we are in Ireland and we certainly can't blame the locals. 6pm - any chance of a cup of tea? Nope! Any chance of a decent meal? Nope!! What used to be the hotel has now no licence and no kitchen. Only options are the pub or chippy. Chose pub and regretted it almost immediately. Pleasant staff but with no idea of what service is. Have customers pick up their food from the bar, fail to provide knives and forks and provide red sauce in a dispenser that will not dispense due to a congealed mass of hardened matter. There was no fish available due to fryer problems?? Chicken nuggets perhaps? We had chips - 4 plates of chips, a plate of salad, 2 pints and 2 wine = £25? Nice chips? Nope!The Island offers lots but the islanders offer little and make no effort to provide their stream of visitors with any decent opportunity to have a meal/snack or even stay the night. The only welcoming figure we encountered on the island was Hilary from Arkell House B&B. The B&B was fine and Hilary went out of her way to be helpful and welcoming. She will cook teas for her guests if requested. We missed that opportunity and sadly endured the pub. I would return for the walks and views but I would have to make my way back to the mainland to have any chance of enjoying quality food or service.It is such a shame I am willing to pay for products and service but Rathliners (apart from Hilary) doesn't appear to be in the marketplace??