Glens of Antrim

Soon after Larne, the coast of County Antrim becomes spectacular—wave upon wave of high green hills that curve down to the hazy sea are dotted with lush glens, or valleys, first carved out by glaciers at the end of the last ice age. Nine wooded river valleys occupy the 86 km (54 mi) between Larne and Ballycastle. A narrow, winding, two-lane road (A2, which splits from the coastal at Cushendall) hugs the slim strip of land between the hills and the sea, bringing you to the magnificent Glens of Antrim running down from the escarpment of the Antrim Plateau to the eastern shore. Until the building of this road in 1834, the Glens were home to isolated farming communities—people who adhered to the romantic, mystical Celtic legends and the everyday use of the Irish language. Steeped in Irish mythology, the Glens were first inhabited by small bands of Irish monks as early as AD 700. Some residents proudly note that Ossian, the greatest of the Celtic poets, is supposedly buried near Glenaan. Given the original remoteness of the area, a great tradition of storytelling still exists.

The Glens are worth several days of serious exploration. Even narrower B-roads curl west off A2, up each of the beautiful glens, where trails await hikers. You'll need a full week and a rainproof tent to complete the nine-glen circuit (working from south to north, Glenarm, Glencloy, Glenariff, Glenballyeamon, Glenaan, Glencorp, Glendun, Glenshesk, and Glentasie); or you could just head for Glenariff Park, the most accessible of Antrim's glens. Tourist offices in the area, such as the one in Cushendall, sell a Guide to the Glens.