Outdoor Adventure
We’re blessed with an abundance of natural beauty spots on our doorstep.
Cottage Wood is accessed from both Shore Street and High Street, right next to us. It’s so close that you can hear the birds singing to the red squirrels from your courtyard. Here you can find two playparks, take a walk through the trees and around the various meandering routes following the river.
Cushendall Beach is a 5 minute stroll down Shore Street and has a safe footpath wide enough for prams. There is a raised walkway all the way along the beach for you to take in the majestic scenery, From here you can access Cliff Path towards the wonderful viewpoints at Layde Graveyard or make use of the seaside playpark!
Waterfoot Beach, a winner of the Seaside Award, is just around the corner in the next village of, you guessed it - Waterfoot! The Beach is approximately 1 km in length and comprised entirely of sand. The bathing area is backed by dunes which run the length of the beach. There are no restrictions on swimming. Our favourite way to get here is a 3km walking route taking you through Cushendall Beach, the local holiday park, up past the ancient Red Bay Castle and down Crookanaveigh Hill to the beach. For those who wish to drive, you can take the scenic Coast Road through the famous Red Arch. The journey only takes a few minutes and there is convenient carpark and toilets at the beach.
Lurigethan Mountain, more often abbreviated to Lurig is the big beautiful Lady that watches over us in Cushendall. It measures (1154ft) and roughly translated mean ‘the ridge of the face or brow’. On the top can still clearly be seen the remains of fortifications which once enclosed about 40 acres (16 hectares). Here at the Stables, we’re based right at the start line of the annual Lurig Run, so you can follow that brave 6km route to the top, via the Stoney Loanin and Kilnadore Road or drive to the bottom and begin from the foothills. Other nearby mountains include Tievebulliagh (1,319 ft), the place of an ancient stone axe factory, and Trostan (1,808 feet) the highest peak in the county.
Glenariff Forrest Park is an 1185 Hectare forest, located in the “Queen of the Glens”, Glenariff. The forest park is brimming with planted woodland, lakes, outdoor recreation spaces and conservation areas, not to mention a host of waterfalls that take your breath away no matter how many times you see them! There are endless trails and paths to take, each one uncovering another wave of natural beauty. The main ones are the Viewpoint Trail (1 km), the Waterfall walk Trail (3 km), the Scenic Trail (8.9 km) and the Rainbow Trail (0.6 km), all of which are sign posted, but you can blend them all together with many more unmarked trails and create bigger 20km loops! Refreshments are available here at the Laragh Lodge, well worth a visit for the food alone.
Cushendun, Glendun, The Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-Reed Rope Bride, Balintoy Harbour, the Dark Hedges, White Park Bay and Bushmills Whiskey Distillery are all within a 5-45 minute drive North or North West of Cushendall. To The South we have the glens of Glencloy and Glenarm, the villages of Carnlough and Glenarm and of course the Hidden village of Galboly, all within a 20 minute drive. Just beyond that is Slemish Mountain, where St Patrick Spent his formative years tending sheep. As you can see, there’s lots to see and do on our doorstep!
