The rural peninsula of Islandmagee lies parallel to the County Antrim mainland, with its northern tip close to the ferry port of Larne. At its southern end, where it joins the mainland, lies the pleasant seaside town of Whitehead.
'The Gobbins' comes from the Gaelic An Gobain, meaning 'the points of rock'. Owl Cottage is located near the dramatic Gobbins cliffs in Islandmagee, with panoramic views across the North Channel from the Outer Hebrides in the north to the Lake District and the Isle of Man in the south.
Light from local lighthouses shines onto the cottage at night, and on clear evenings it can be quite a task counting and identifying all the lighthouses to be seen. Sea-watchers will love the opportunity to follow the comings and goings of shipping in and out of Belfast Lough, and, perhaps the herring fleets working up northwards from the Irish Sea. Bird-lovers will love the many birds to be seen, both in the garden, and in the wider area.
There are remains of a 19th century cliff walk nearby, which can still be followed today, with some difficulty, and a cliff-head walk about 2 mls away passes the nearest lighthouse, at Blackhead. Another, also about 2 mls away, near the sandy beach of Brown's Bay, gives fine views of the busy shipping port of Larne.
Views around Islandmagee
Bronze Age Dig 2000
In 2000, during preparations for the installation of the Interconnector cable between Scotland and N Ireland, the remains of Bronze-age roundhouses were uncovered in a little valley, in the path of the cable. These photographs were taken during the rescue dig.
