Northern Ireland The smallest country in Britain, locals are friendly, the scenery is wild, rugged and enchanting, the history fascinating.

The smallest country in Britain, Northern Ireland is enjoying newfound popularity as more people include it on their itinerary when visiting the UK and Ireland. After decades of unrest and “troubles”, Northern Ireland is closer to peace than it’s ever been and you can’t help but feel the hope and optimism in the air when you visit this charming country. The locals are friendly, the scenery is wild, rugged and enchanting, the history fascinating - at times haunting and the roads are much better than you’ll find in the Republic. Easy to travel around because of its compact size, Northern Ireland is still a part of the UK so you’ll notice the road signs are in miles and the currency is pound sterling.

See some of the most beautiful coastal scenery in all of Ireland along the North Coast. Just over an hour out of Belfast you’ll find the fascinating Giant’s Causeway, an area of approximately 40,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns. Located in County Antrim, it formed as a result of a volcanic activity around 50-60 million years ago. On the stretch of coast between Giant’s Causeway and Ballycastle, you’ll find the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. Not for the faint-hearted, this one metre wide by 20 metre long bridge spans the chasm between two cliff edges at 30 metres above sea level.

Take a tour of the Old Bushmills Distillery, the oldest legal distillery in the world, granted licence in 1608 by King James I. Explore one of Northern Ireland’s most scenic areas of natural beauty, the Mourne Mountains. A walker’s paradise, they are the highest and most dramatic mountain ranges in Northern Ireland and are said to have been the inspiration for CS Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, after he spent much time in the area.

Visit the historic city of Derry where you can stroll around the 17^th century city walls for panoramic views of the city; explore the Tower Museum which follows Derry’s history from its geological formation millions of years ago to its recent history; wander through the intriguing Museum of Free Derry in the Bogside where you’ll learn all about the massacre that occurred on Bloody Sunday and see 25,000 items related to that tragic day in Northern Ireland’s history; take The Bogside Artist’s Tour of the city’s murals which are uniquely conducted by the artists themselves, gaining fascinating insight into the meaning behind the murals and the experiences the artists had that inspired them to paint them.