One habit I believe us Brits make is procrastinating travel plans for Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It’s easy for us to say all those places are close by that we can visit them whenever. But before you know it a few years pass by since you first had that thought and you still haven’t been.

It’s so easy to do but also bare in mind that there are many places which are climatically (if that’s a word) more appealing.

Still though don’t let the climate take away from what is a beautiful part of the world this is.

Dark Hedges

The Dark Hedges are an avenue of beach trees in County Antrim. For you Game of Throne fans (full disclosure, I’m not one) The Dark Hedges featured in season 2 episode 1 if that means anything to you.

I didn’t take to the beginning of the Causeway Coastal Route from Belfast. It was my first day driving after arriving, and having had a bit more to drink than I intended the night before (that’s what happens when you end up hanging out with the locals in a pub). I thought just take the quickest route, arrive and go from there.

Just a heads up, when it comes to parking follow the signs for the Hedges Hotel when you come here, it’s free to park and it’s a short walk.

I got here for roughly 9am. It was dead with no one else in sight and raining it down. I don’t think I spent more than half an hour here. I literally just walked up the path way, took a few snaps, enjoyed the peace and quiet of the place and went back to the car.

I assume I got lucky with timing because I can’t imagine it would be this empty.

While it was cool seeing a bunch of beach trees lined up symmetrically, it felt kind of underwhelming.

Still, that’s just a perspective of my experience and not designed to influence you in any way shape or form.

Carrick-A-Rede

A 15 minute drive later and you reach the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge (pronounced Carrick-A-Reed).

Erected over 250 years ago, the bridge links the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede.

The bridge would be built during fishing season and taken down by fisherman during the quiet season.

In the 1970s the bridge only had one hand rail and huge gaps between the slats. I would never have thought fisherman were crazy, but if you’re building a bridge in the high season and taking it down manually, and only including one hand rail then you’ve got to be near the extreme level of crazy.

In the year 2000 a bridge was built and was tested up to ten tonnes before a new one was built in 2004 to offer visiting fishermen a safer passage to the island.

There’s no chance in hell I would contemplate walking a rope bridge with only one hand rail and I consider myself an adrenaline junkie.

You can buy your ticket to include parking online. It’s a 10 minute walk from the car to the rope bridge. You might look at it and think it’s walkable without holding on to the rails but then about halfway on there you will likely change your mind.

That is if you even contemplate it.

Cross over to the other and enjoy views of the coastline and in the distant you can see Aran Island.

You wouldn’t typically spend more than an hour here unless you went during peak hours. If you go between 10-10:30 in the morning it’s quiet.

The Giant’s Causeway

Less than 10 minutes from the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge is the highlight of the Causeway Coastal Route, The Giant’s Causeway.

The Giant’s Causeway, which is in County Antrim, about three miles outside of the town of Bushmills is an area of approximately 40,000 basalt columns which were a result of a volcanic eruption.

It’s easier to have you ticket and parking booked online, otherwise you have to drive round the car park in a queue where a parking attendant comes to your car and helps you book your ticket.

Once you’ve shown your ticket you have the option of a headset and walk around the museum exhibition of the history of the Giant’s Causeway before heading out. There are numbered posts where you will stop and listen to the audio guide about the Giant’s Causeway’s history and legends as you head towards it.

Of all the places you will visit on the Causeway Route, you will likely spend most of your time at The Giant’s Causeway.

Evolution of nature at its finest. Such a beautiful place. After spending time walking on the basalts and columns, trying not to fall over and posing for photos, there are footpaths you can take to get a view of The Giant’s Causeway.

As with anything it’s one thing seeing pictures and hearing someone else’s experience, it’s another being there as it the case with this.

Derry/Londonderry

The last stop on the Causeway Coastal Route, the walled city Derry, or Londonderry depending who you speak to.

Although the drive from the Giant Causeway to Derry was only an hour give or take. It was a bit tiring having got up early from an evening or drinking, and a few stop offs on the Causeway Coastal Route. So make sure you plan to stop for rest if you’re looking to do the route in a day and end it in Derry.

Derry is a pretty small place where you only need a full day to explore the whole place. For a small place there were great options for places to eat that at some point I feared I wouldn’t be able to sample each place I wanted to try.

Where else to start but the Derry Walls?

The Derry walls doesn’t stretch far. When I mean not far, I mean you could easily walk around the whole thing in a couple of hours including exploring anything else off the walls.

One of the most iconic stops on the walk is the Derry Girls mural. It features the cast of comedy series (yes you guessed it) Derry Girls.

There are plenty of tours you can do in Derry. Plenty of them will take you to the bloody Sunday monument and the many murals you will come across in Derry.

For those who aren’t aware of the history, on the 30th of January 1972, British soldiers shot 26 unarmed civilians during a protest in Derry. The protesters, all of whom Northern Catholics were marching against the British policy of imprisonment of Irish Nationalists.

I won’t sugar coat it, the history is pretty morbid at best. Depressing if we’re being honest. As much as we don’t like hearing about horrible moments in history, it’s good to learn about the history, good or bad.

It made me appreciate the environment I grew up in.

On to the murals.

Not far from the Bloody Sunday monument is a street full of murals with meanings behind them.

Some are based on civil rights, and you see some based on violence against women. When you look further into the meaning of the murals, you feel a sad, kind of sinking feeling.

I love street art and can spend as long as possible walking around looking at them. You appreciate the effort behind the idea of these murals of expressing in a creative way what the Derry natives, men, women and children went through during the period known as “The troubles in Northern Ireland”.

Derry is one of those places where locals are more than happy to talk about the place and history, good and bad with pride, over a pint of Guinness. It’s a tiny place which seems like a close knit community where everyone knows one another.

Now on to the food.

The one that stands out is Pyke ‘N’ Pommes because of the unique experience of sitting down and eating inside an old school double decker with a view.

Pyke ‘N’ Pommes are known for their burgers and tacos as well as the standard sides you would get.

They started out around 10 years ago and in the first few years have their own premises in the town, and another in a converted old shipping container along the waterfront where you find the double decker bus.

Within the city walls is the Cottage Craft Gallery and Coffee Shop. They are known for their crepes and truth be told I got impulsed when I saw one of the waitresses taking a crepe to a table.

The décor is really cool, a vintage feel and handmade crafts and art on display while enjoying a savory and dessert crepe…because why wouldn’t you have both?

I only went in here because it started to rain (that’s Ireland in June for you) and stumbled across this gem of a place.

Good range of options and reasonably priced for a place in the centre.

Being an early riser I didn’t want to just sit and wait for time to pass so before exploring, I went to find a place for breakfast, and while I struggled a bit, I found The Scullery Café.

A hog bap later, which was basically an Irish breakfast bap, we were ready to go. I’ve gone exploring on an empty stomach before and it doesn’t feel good. I don’t know how some people do it? (I’ve actually met people who do this).

One of the most popular spots to eat in Derry is the Walled City Brewery.

Walk over The Peace Bridge (where you can stop a few times to take photos of the views), and on to Ebrington Square which was a former army parade ground, and is currently a building site as they construct a new open air event space, and a digital and creative hub, and regeneration of the area.

Anyway back to the Walled City Brewery. Everything about the place ticks the boxes, the atmosphere, staff, menu choices. For you beer lovers out there you’ll love it here. There’s enough options (alcohol tolerance pending) for you to try to keep you entertained for however long you want.

Of course the cider drinker here picked a cider rather than a beer.

Not forgetting how good the Vietnamese chicken wings went down as a starter and a burger which on the surface looks small but had a lot packed into it and went down a treat.

Derry is the perfect stop gap in between exploring the Causeway Coastal Route and the Wild Atlantic Way.

The Causeway Coastal Route is an ideal way to begin exploring Northern and Southern Ireland. The whole route is less than 150 miles, and all the main attractions are close to one another. There’s room to be flexible whether you plan to see what you want over a whole day or take your time and do it over a few days while you break yourself into driving around Ireland.

There are other attractions such as Bally Castle, Carrickfergus Castle, Torr Head, White Rocks Beach and the Old Bushmills Distillery. For a route that is the same distance distance as driving from Brighton to Birmingham it’s packed full options.