Travels

Giant’s Causeway 🍀

Posted by markhadland on
A scenic view of a rocky coastline with basalt columns, waves crashing against the shore, and a clear blue sky.

The Giant’s Causeway was the third main leg of our Ireland 2023 Road Tour. I have read about this place many times, and it has been featured in the video game Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. I really wanted to visit this place. I am an Eagle Scout, a nature lover, and a rock nerd. I love running up and down any rock formation and chasing waves on the surf. What a perfect place to indulge in all of my rock proclivities.

Belfast

First off we set for Belfast, Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, we arrived so early with the drive time that many places were closed. Honestly, it was a boring, depressing town. The Titanic Museum was closed as were most pubs. Where was my Irish breakfast?

Exterior view of Bittles Bar in Belfast, featuring decorative window art, a Guinness flag, and colorful banners.
Closed

A tall clock tower with intricate architecture, featuring a statue at its base, set against a partly cloudy sky in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
A colorful mural titled 'Belfast Romances' featuring iconic Belfast landmarks, a woman, a cat, and elements of pop culture, set against a vibrant blue background.
Exterior view of The Thirsty Goat pub featuring green walls and a decorative sign above the door.
The Thirsty Goat was not quenching our thirsts!
A historic brick building in Belfast, Northern Ireland, featuring arched windows and a turret, with a blue sky in the background.

Enough of this – we pushed North to the Bushmills Distillery for lunch at a proper open pub.

A welcoming sign for Bushmills, featuring a lighthouse illustration, a fish, and the word 'Bushmills' prominently displayed.
A person wearing a black hoodie and white sweatpants stands in front of a dark green entrance door, making a gesture with their hands.
A person stands in front of the entrance sign to the Bushmills Inn Hotel and Restaurant, pointing to the sign.
Tell us what you really think Rhone!
A display cabinet showcasing various bottles of Bushmills whiskey, featuring different labels and ages, against a red velvet background.
Now we’re talking.

Now off to the Giant’s Causeway

Vibrant green fields stretch towards the coastline under a clear blue sky in Northern Ireland.
Emerald Green
A scenic view of the coastline at the Giant's Causeway, featuring rocky formations, waves crashing against the shore, and a clear blue sky.
Approaching the Causeway
A scenic view of grassy hills leading down to a rocky coastline, with the ocean in the background under a clear blue sky.
A group of four people posing for a selfie by the coastline with a clear blue sky and ocean in the background.
A scenic view of the coastline featuring a rocky shore, waves crashing against the rocks, and lush green grass in the foreground under a clear blue sky.
Scenic view of the rugged coastline with rocky formations and waves crashing against the shore, under a clear blue sky.
Scenic view of the coastline at the Giant's Causeway, showing cliffs, green hills, and rocky shorelines with waves.
Quite the hike to the Giant’s Causeway.
A person wearing a black hoodie and a Guinness beanie, looking at their phone by the rocky shoreline of the Giant's Causeway, with cliffs in the background and waves crashing on the beach.
Representing
A scenic view of the coastline at the Giant's Causeway, featuring dark volcanic rocks, clear blue waters, and green hills in the background under a bright blue sky.
Rocky shoreline with large boulders and waves crashing against them under a blue sky.
A scenic view of the coastline featuring rocky formations and gentle waves under a clear blue sky.
A rocky coastline with large boulders and waves crashing on the shore under a clear blue sky.
The Giant's Causeway featuring unique hexagonal rock formations and waves crashing against the shore under a clear blue sky.
Finally there.
A landscape view of the Giant's Causeway with hexagonal rock formations in the foreground, the ocean waves crashing in the background under a clear blue sky.
Amazing

The Giant’s Causeway  is an area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. There is a similar formation in Mount Rainier National Park that Carter and I have hiked past on one of our 50-mile hikes.

Close-up view of interlocking basalt columns at the Giant's Causeway, with the ocean waves in the background.
A close-up view of the hexagonal basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway, with the ocean waves crashing against the rocky shore under a clear blue sky.
Rock formations at the Giant's Causeway with waves crashing in the background.
Visitors explore the unique rock formations of the Giant's Causeway, with waves crashing against the shore in the background and a clear blue sky above.
Now the real fun begins.

The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although some have four, five, seven, or eight sides. The tallest are approximately 39 ft high.

Scenic view of the Giant's Causeway, displaying unique hexagonal rock formations with waves crashing in the background.
View of the Giant's Causeway with hexagonal rock formations leading to the ocean under a clear blue sky.
Visitors standing on the unique hexagonal rock formations of the Giant's Causeway with the ocean in the background under a clear blue sky.
It’s Qbert time.
Rugged stone formations at the Giant's Causeway under a clear blue sky.
Close-up view of the unique hexagonal basalt columns at the Giant's Causeway, with waves crashing against the stones.
Close-up view of the unique hexagonal basalt columns forming part of the Giant's Causeway, with the Atlantic Ocean in the background.
Two individuals posing for a selfie at the Giant's Causeway, with rocky formations and ocean waves in the background.
The Giant's Causeway featuring unique hexagonal basalt columns and crashing waves against the coastline under a clear blue sky.
Two smiling individuals pose for a selfie by the ocean, with waves crashing in the background and a clear blue sky above.
Two individuals take a selfie at the coast, with waves crashing in the background and a clear blue sky above.
The Giant's Causeway, featuring unique hexagonal basalt columns, with ocean waves crashing in the background.
Close-up view of hexagonal basalt columns at the Giant's Causeway, showcasing their unique shapes and textures.
A person standing on hexagonal rock formations at the Giant's Causeway, with crashing waves and a blue sky in the background.
The Giant's Causeway featuring unique hexagonal rock formations, with crashing waves in the foreground and visitors exploring in the background.
A scenic view of the Giant's Causeway, featuring hexagonal basalt columns formed by volcanic activity, with waves crashing in the background and visitors exploring the unique rock formations.

According to legend, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. The story goes that the Irish giant Finn MacCool was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Fionn accepted the challenge and built a causeway across the North Channel, allowing the two to meet.

A view of the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, featuring unique hexagonal rock formations along the coastline with waves crashing nearby.
The Giant's Causeway featuring unique hexagonal basalt columns along the rocky coastline with waves crashing nearby under a clear blue sky.
Close-up view of the hexagonal rock formations at the Giant's Causeway with two shallow pools of water reflecting the sky.
Close-up view of basalt rock formations with a pool of water on top against the backdrop of the ocean and blue skies at the Giant's Causeway.
The Giant's Causeway featuring hexagonal basalt columns along the coastline with waves crashing in the background.
View of the Giant's Causeway with hexagonal basalt columns, waves crashing against the rocks, and a blue sky in the background.
View of the Giant's Causeway, showcasing hexagonal basalt columns along the coastline with waves crashing in the background.
View of the Giant's Causeway with visitors exploring the unique hexagonal rock formations and the ocean in the background.
A view of the Giant's Causeway, showcasing unique hexagonal basalt columns along the rocky shore, with waves crashing in the background and a few visitors exploring the area.
View of the Giant's Causeway with its iconic hexagonal basalt columns, waves crashing along the shore, and a clear blue sky in the background.
Three friends standing on the unique hexagonal basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway with the ocean in the background.
A view of the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland featuring its unique hexagonal basalt columns against the backdrop of the ocean and a clear blue sky.
Two people standing on the unique hexagonal basalt columns at the Giant's Causeway, with the ocean waves crashing in the background and a clear blue sky above.
Visitors exploring the unique rock formations at the Giant's Causeway, with the ocean waves in the background under a clear blue sky.
Four people standing on the hexagonal basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway, with the ocean and blue sky in the background.
Close-up view of the unique basalt columns at the Giant's Causeway, with a clear blue sky in the background and the sea visible in the distance.
The Giant's Causeway featuring tall hexagonal basalt columns against a blue sky.
Three individuals standing on the unique hexagonal rock formations at the Giant's Causeway, with the ocean and blue sky in the background.
Waves crashing against the unique hexagonal rock formations at the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, under a clear blue sky.
A scenic view of the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, featuring a large rock formation and a steep, grassy hill under a clear blue sky.
A view of the Causeway Hotel's white exterior featuring the name 'CAUSEWAY HOTEL' prominently displayed above the windows under a clear blue sky.

The Dark Hedges have been featured in Games of Thrones and other movies.

A scenic view of a tree-lined road with bare trees on either side, creating a tunnel effect, under a clear blue sky.
Four individuals standing together on a tree-lined path, with bare trees against a clear blue sky.

I must say that the day at The Giant’s Causeway was totally amazing. Unreal, sureal and otherworldly are some descriptions that come to mind. It is am amazingly beautiful and unique place and I am so happy we were able to visit and get our inner QBert on.

An illustration of the classic video game character Q*bert, depicted as an orange, round creature with a trunk, standing on a colorful, pyramid-like structure with blue, yellow, and green elements.
A collage of images showcasing the unique basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway, with the ocean and blue skies in the background. The images depict the hexagonal patterns of the columns, visitors exploring the site, and various angles of the rock formations.

One Comment Add yours

  1. Ron says:
    November 14, 2025 at 6:04 pm

    Fascinating, Mark!

    Reply

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