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| Shorts: whatever the weather while watching seals |
With a gloomy weather forecast on our minds, we set off for
our day exploring the area to the East of the hostel. Our first stop was
the dramatic Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, where we were able to soak up the
scenery under pleasantly hospitable skies. A short journey on took us to
Ballycastle, our departure point for Rathlin Island. As we boarded the
ferry, the much-anticipated rain steadily commenced but everyone seemed more
interested in the exhilaration of the high-speed journey, our boat bouncing
tumultuously over the waves to the thrill of children on board.
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| Enjoying a good walk on Rathlin Island |
Once on
the island, home to just 72 people, we divided ourselves into two groups with
one walking to seek shelter for lunch and the other boarding ‘Bert’s Puffin
Bus’ to travel the length of the island to the RSPB centre at the far
end. For some, the howling wind and rain that lashed the observation
platform made it difficult to muster enthusiasm for ornithology, but for those
hardy enough to ignore the conditions, the reward was worth it. Gazing
down at the thousands of birds that flock to the rugged cliff faces and sea
turrets, one could pick out puffins, razorbills and kittiwakes (amongst others)
sheltering in their nests from the weather, but also darting in and out with
deliveries of food. We also visited the unusual lighthouse that beams out
over the sea, but below the fog, and gained an insight into the life of a
lighthouse keeper in this remote corner of the British Isles.
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| Whole group at Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge |
With barely
a word of protest, the children substituted half of the bus journey back for a
bracing walk, with one group needing to deploy all the skills learnt from the
previous encounter with cows on the beach to cope with the scary experience of
a bull in the road. The beach near the harbour turned out to be quite the
playground for the local seals, and we saw many of them bobbing about in the
water but also resting on the rocks – obviously enjoying the continuous rain
more than we were! Eventually our damp group returned to the ferry for
the journey home and a much needed warm, dry night in the hostel – movie night
and hot chocolate was the order of the day.
