I think my first two posts were a bit on the long side, so will try for shorter updates. However, I enjoy writing most of the time and often there seems to be much to share.
Rathlin Island
In my first post, I mentioned a bit about Rathlin Island, which is a few miles off the coast from Ballycastle. Rathlin is visible from many places at Corrymeela and visually reminds me of an island near St. John's, Newfoundland (Bell Island in Conception Bay). Soon after arriving here, I thought I'd like to visit Rathlin for a day trip. most likely in March. Last week, I had the opportunity to go to Rathlin for a day with three other people from Corrymeela.
visited two light houses, two churches, the ruins of a number of stone buildings and some other places that provided shelter and/or good views. While it wasn't sunny, we didn't encounter any notable rain until waiting for the ferry to return to Ballycastle.
The ferry service winter schedule provides five crossings daily in both directions on weekdays. There are two vessels serving the route. On the way to Rathlin, we were on the newer, passenger-only vessel that takes about 30 minutes to make the crossing. On the return sailing, we were on the older vessel (also can transport a few cars), which is slower and takes about 45 minutes to cross. The water was rough, but all of us made the crossings without difficulty.
With a population of about 100 people, Rathlin's geology is of pre-historic volcanic origin. It is L shaped and is about 6 km from east to west and 4 km from north to south. About 25 km to the north is the southern tip of Scotland's Kintyre peninsula, which is visible across the water on clear days. The island has the status of being a special conservation area as it is the home of tens of thousands seabirds. As such, it is a popular destination for birdwatchers. In the areas where we walked, there was much evidence of the island having a larger population in the past. There were many stone buildings in varying degrees of decay.
In the the 18th century, kelp production was a major activity on the island and the population was ten times larger than it is today. We saw evidence of the island former economy as the shorelines and other areas are littered with kilns and storage places. The landscape is barren and often the only signs of life we encountered were birds, cattle, and one pony. In the village where the ferries land and embark (Church Bay), there are a few local businesses, most of which were closed. Access to services in Ballycastle is critical to people on the island. During summers, the population increases substantially as visitors come to Rathlin for bird watching, hiking/walking and bicycling. While summer most visitors come for day trips only, there is some lodging at Church Bay.
Being of Scottish ancestry, I was interested to learn that Robert the Bruce (aka Robert I of Scotland) sought refuge on Rathlin after defeat at the hands of the English. Legend says that it was in Bruce's Cave that Robert the Bruce was inspired by watching the efforts of a spider to return to Scotland and once again battle the English. After a series of victories, Robert the Bruce's military success culminated in victory at the Battle of Bannockburn. There are other Scottish clan connections in the history of Rathlin.
The world's first commercial wireless telegraphy link was established by employees of Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi between the East Lighthouse on Rathlin and the lighthouse at Ballycastle. In 1987, British industrialist Richard Branson (Virgin Air, Music, etc.) crashed his hot air balloon into the sea off Rathlin after making a record-breaking flight from the U.S. state of Maine.
