Causeway Coast Stables Riding Journey

Your first riding day begins with a warm welcome from Mr. McKinley and the Bespoke Equestrian Ireland team, followed by a stable visit and introduction to the horses. After selecting your horse and completing a riding assessment, you set out into the North Antrim Hills.

Today’s ride lasts around four to five hours and takes you through heather-clad slopes and open countryside, with sweeping views over the North Coast and as many as five counties of Ireland. The route gives a magnificent first taste of the area’s wilder side, far from busy roads and popular tourist spots.

A special highlight is the stop at a glass-sided cabin high in the hills, where a beautifully prepared picnic awaits. While enjoying lunch, you can take in the wide views across the countryside and appreciate the quiet beauty of the landscape.

As the ride continues, you pass old peat banks once used as a traditional fuel source for generations of local families. There may be time to stop, hear more about this old custom, and even see how peat was cut with traditional tools. After returning to the stables, you are transferred back to your accommodation in a nearby coastal town. The evening is free to freshen up, head into town, and enjoy food, drink, and some local craic.

Overnight: County Antrim Coast

Today begins in the picturesque seaside village of Ballintoy, one of the most atmospheric spots on the Causeway Coast. From here, an old off-road track with sweeping sea views leads toward the dazzling sands of Whitepark Bay.

This beach is one of the finest in Northern Ireland, with around three miles of white sand, rolling dunes, and rugged cliffs forming a dramatic backdrop. It is an ideal location for a refreshing coastal ride, with opportunities to walk, trot, canter, and gallop depending on conditions. If you are lucky, you may even see the famous sunbathing cattle resting on the shore.

The scenery here is exceptional. The bright beach, salt air, ocean spray, and ancient surrounding cliffs create a ride that feels both exhilarating and timeless. After enjoying the beach, the route continues across dunes and farmland toward Ballintoy village for lunch, where you can expect simple, hearty local dishes such as seafood chowder or Irish stew.

In the afternoon, the ride continues into the hills above Ballintoy, overlooking Ballintoy Harbour, once strongly associated with salmon fishing. More recently, the harbour became famous as a filming location for Game of Thrones, where it appeared as part of the Iron Islands. The views from these hills are among the best on the North Coast, with superb photo opportunities over the Atlantic, the harbour, and the striking white Ballintoy Parish Church. On clear days, Rathlin Island makes an impressive backdrop.

The day finishes with views toward the cliffs surrounding the famous Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, before saying goodbye to the horses after a full and scenic day of off-road riding.

Overnight: County Antrim Coast

This morning begins at Watertop Farm, once a lively céilí house and now the starting point for another rewarding day in the saddle. The route takes you through beautiful countryside on the edge of the Glens of Antrim, with chances for trotting and cantering through a varied and scenic landscape.

As you ride near Ballypatrick Forest, keep an eye out for local wildlife. This woodland is known for its red deer, and with luck you may glimpse them or their fawns as they move at the forest edge. Birds of prey are also often seen circling overhead.

Later, the day includes lunch in a traditional Irish pub, where you can enjoy the kind of hearty fare that suits a classic riding holiday. After lunch, the journey continues five miles down the glen to the lovely village of Cushendun, designed in the early twentieth century with a deliberately Cornish character. You will hear the story of Maud’s Cottages, built in memory of Ronald McNeill’s wife, and learn more about the unique history of the village.

The ride then heads onto Cushendun Strand, passing the ruins of Carra Castle and continuing toward the famous Cushendun Caves, formed more than 400 million years ago and later used as a filming location in Game of Thrones. You may also see the bronze sculpture of Johann the Goat, a local character whose story is still remembered in the village.

This ride has a wonderfully coastal feel, with time to enjoy the strand, the Atlantic water, and the quiet beauty of the shoreline before returning through old beech trees near the church and manor house. It is a memorable combination of landscape, local stories, and one final seaside ride with your horse and guides.

Overnight: County Antrim Coast

Today gives you a break from the saddle and the chance to experience one of the region’s most special offshore places, Rathlin Island.

You travel by boat from Ballycastle to this peaceful island, known as one of Ireland’s great wildlife havens. Rathlin is famous for its seabirds, and depending on the season, you may spot puffins, seals, dolphins, or even killer whales off the coast. The island also offers walking trails, maritime history, lighthouses, and a quiet village atmosphere with a single pub and shop.

This day adds a lovely contrast to the riding, allowing you to enjoy the coast from the water and experience a more tranquil side of the North Atlantic environment. It is also a great opportunity to meet local people and enjoy a slower pace before the final riding day.

Overnight: North Antrim Coast

Your final riding day begins at the ruins of Redbay Castle, once a McDonnell stronghold and a lookout point guarding the glens from invaders from the north. From the very start, the scenery is striking in every direction.

Today’s route takes you into Glenariff, often called the Queen of the Glens because of its beauty. This is one of the celebrated Nine Glens of Antrim, where a dramatic U-shaped valley carved by glaciers descends toward the sea. The ride begins on Glenariff Beach at Waterfoot, where views stretch across the water to Ailsa Craig, Sanda Island, and the western coast of Scotland.

As you step onto the golden sands, the glen opens before you in spectacular fashion. Here you can walk, trot, canter, and gallop across the bay while taking in a landscape often associated with the song Danny Boy. After enjoying the beach, the route follows a quiet winding road toward the famous Glenariff Waterfalls.

Along the way, your guide shares local folklore and stories, including tales of Tír na nÓg, the Land of Eternal Youth. The trail climbs steadily through an oasis of woodland and open views until you reach Lara Lodge, where the horses are tied up and you enjoy local food and a drink in the heart of the glen.

There is also time for a short walk to view the waterfalls behind the lodge, where a beautiful boardwalk reveals peaceful riverside scenery and three impressive falls. Afterwards, you ride back down the glen, seeing the whole landscape from a new angle, before returning to the beach for one last ride and one final splash in the Atlantic.

Back at Redbay Castle, it is time to say goodbye to your horse, your guides, and the north coast landscapes that have shaped the week. The journey ends with memories of beaches, glens, sea air, and the warm welcome of the Causeway Coast.