Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
For roughly 250 years salmon fishermen crossed this gap on a rope bridge with a single handrail and gaps between the planks, carrying their catch home.
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Quick Facts
- Location
- Near Ballintoy, on the Causeway Coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland
- Spans
- A chasm of roughly 20 metres to Carrick-a-Rede island
- Height
- About 30 metres above the sea and rocks
- Original purpose
- Letting fishermen reach the island's salmon fishery
- Age of the tradition
- The first rope bridge was put up by salmon fishermen in 1755, so the tradition is about 270 years old
- Name
- From the Irish for 'rock in the road', meaning the path of the migrating salmon
- Looked after by
- The National Trust
- Nearby
- Ballintoy Harbour, Larrybane, Rathlin Island and the Giant's Causeway
A bridge built for fish, not tourists
Today people queue to cross it for the thrill. For generations, the bridge was simply a commute. Salmon swimming along the north Antrim coast hit the rock of Carrick-a-Rede on their way to their home rivers. Fishermen worked out that the island was the perfect place to set nets in their path. The name reflects this: Carrick-a-Rede comes from the Irish for 'rock in the road', the road being the salmon's route. To reach the island they needed a bridge. The first rope bridge went up in 1755, and each spring, ahead of the season, fishermen rigged a crossing over the chasm and took it down again when the fishing was done. They kept at it until the salmon fishery ended in 2002, roughly 250 years later.
The scary old version
The early bridges were nothing like today's neat, fenced crossing. Accounts of the old bridge describe a single handrail and wide gaps between the planks, with the sea churning on the rocks below. The fishermen crossed it carrying gear and fish, and they did it daily without a second thought. Visitors became curious about the bridge long before the fishing stopped. When the salmon fishery ended in 2002, the bridge's role changed entirely. It stopped being a working route and became the main attraction of the coast. The present bridge was built to cope with the crowds. It has two handrails and tight, sturdy planking. Even so, plenty of people stop halfway and hold on tight.
The crossing itself
The bridge is about 20 metres long and hangs about 30 metres over the water. It sways a little, and you can see the sea through the gaps and the rocks below. Most people cross in under a minute, though a few take far longer. The trick is not to look straight down. If you do, you'll see the clear, cold water of the north Atlantic, which is also why photographers love it. A common worry is that you'll be stuck on the island. You won't. The same bridge takes you back, though some say the return is harder because you've already seen what's below.
What waits on the island
The far side is small but rewarding. There is a former fishermen's cottage, a reminder of the salmon-fishing days, and a rocky, grassy top with sweeping views. On a clear day you can see Rathlin Island and, beyond it, the coast of Scotland. Seabirds nest on the cliffs, including fulmars, guillemots and razorbills, and the sea below often looks startlingly turquoise in the sunshine. The approach is part of the fun. The walk from the car park near the old Larrybane quarry follows a cliff path above the sea, with views of the coast along the way.
Making a day of the Causeway Coast
Carrick-a-Rede sits on one of the most dramatic stretches of coast in the UK. A short drive away is Ballintoy Harbour, a tiny harbour of white limestone and black basalt that has appeared on screen as the Iron Islands in Game of Thrones. The Giant's Causeway is a few miles to the west. The bridge fits neatly into that route. It is the smaller, wobblier attraction, and many visitors say it is the more exciting of the two, partly because you are the one doing the daring.
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