The following towns and villages are all less than ten miles away - Kells, Ballymena, Antrim, Ballyclare, Doagh, Templepatrick - and include shops, supermarkets, restaurants and fast food outlets. (See location map on our contact page for more details.)
Above and below you can see a small selection of the tourist locations that are all within easy driving distance from Shaw’s Hill Cottage.
The Glens of Antrim. Nine in number, all along the Antrim Coast road containing woods, waterfalls, riverside paths, viewpoints, and forest parks. All easily accessible and ideal for touring either by car or on foot.
Joey Dunlop, was one of the most successful motorcycle riders of all time. He was tragically killed while racing in Estonia in July 2000. In May 2001, Ballymoney Borough Council officially opened the Joey Dunlop Memorial Garden.
Carrick-a-Rede boasts an exhilarating rope bridge experience. Traditionally fishermen erected the bridge over a 23m-deep and 20m-wide chasm to check their salmon nets. Today visitors are drawn here simply to take the rope bridge challenge!
The Mid-Antrim Museum in Ballymena boasts two large state of the art exhibition galleries. Themes covered include settlement & change, commerce & industry, living off the land and politics & conflict. Admission is free.
The Giant's Causeway, renowned for its polygonal columns of layered basalt, is the only World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland. Resulting from a volcanic eruption, it has attracted visitors for centuries. It harbours a wealth of local and natural history.
400 years old this year (2008) Old Bushmills Distillery has a unique, unbroken whiskey-making tradition still very much alive today. Visitors on the guided tour can observe the craft and skills of making Irish whiskey.
Built around the 10th Century, the Round Tower and Bullaun Stone are impressive reminders of Antrim’s ancient monastic settlement. It is known locally as The Steeple. It is 28 metres tall and is one of the finest of its kind in Ireland. The monastic site was burned in 1147.
From April to October the Maid of Antrim offers the chance to experience the unspoilt scenery, secluded bays and countless forms of wildlife along the Lower Bann River, taking in Portglenone, Portneal and the Cutts, Coleraine before returning. Wheelchair access available.
The Richardson walled garden at Greenmount was redeveloped for the millennium. Features include a curvilinear style conservatory, a bronze sculpture, fountain and cascade. Intricate Celtic knot gardens and a small maze throw a wonderful contrast to the colourful mixed boarders and rose beds.
Built by John de Courcy in 1177 Carrickfergus Castle remains one of the best preserved medieval structures in the whole of Ireland. Today this Norman Castle is maintained by the Environment and Heritage Service as a State Care Historic Monument
Slemish, nr Ballymena, is the remains of the plug of an extinct volcano. 1,500 ft high and distinctive in appearance it dominates the landscape for miles in all directions. Tradition holds that St Patrick, enslaved as a youth, tended herds on Slemish, and that during this time he found God.
Dunluce Castle is sited dramatically close to the edge of a headland, along the North Antrim coast. Surrounded by jaw dropping coastal scenery, its history can be traced back to early Christians and Vikings. Visit and take a peek at medieval Irish life!
