Overview
The whole of Cushendun is essentially a stage set – and it always was. In the early 20th century Ronald McNeill, later Lord Cushendun, hired the architect Clough Williams-Ellis (of Portmeirion fame) to rebuild the village in a Cornish style, giving it the whitewashed, slate-roofed cottages and pastel façades that still line the square today. The National Trust owns most of it now and keeps commercial signage out, so the place stays quiet and deliberately old-fashioned.
Cushendun (Irish: Cois Abhann Doinne, ‘foot of the River Dun’) sits where the River Dun meets the sea, at the foot of Glendun – one of the Nine Glens of Antrim – on the Causeway Coastal Route. Most people come for the red-sandstone caves at the south end of the beach, free and a five-minute walk from the square. Come early: the village is tiny, the car parks are small, and the mornings are when you’ll actually get a squirrel or a parking space.
The village and its architecture
The history is as dramatic as the setting. In 1567 Shane O’Neill was killed nearby at Castle Carra, whose ruin still stands in a green field north of the village. Williams-Ellis’s rebuild gave Cushendun its cohesive streetscape, and there’s a small human coda to it: after the death of Lord Cushendun’s wife Maud in 1925, the architect designed a row of whitewashed cottages in her memory – Maud’s Cottages, still lived in.
The National Trust took on most of the village and the parkland around Glenmona House in 1954, and it was made a conservation area in 1980, protecting both the buildings and their setting in the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Wander the lanes, look for the sculpture of Johann the goat – a local celebrity – down by the riverside near the bridge, and call into the Old Church Centre, a sandstone church built in 1840 and now run by the community as an arts and heritage venue.
Beach walks and coastal views
The wide, shallow beach curves along a sheltered bay, with safe paddling for families when the surf is down. On a clear day Scotland shows on the horizon, about 15 miles off. A paved promenade runs alongside the water to the caves, and the low-water mark opens out expanses of sand and rock pools worth a poke about – check the tide times first. There’s a playground and picnic area near the car park at Glenmona House if you’ve brought children.
Exploring the caves
Carved into the orange sandstone cliffs at the south end of the beach, the caves tell a 400-million-year story – Devonian red-sandstone laid down, Carboniferous sediment on top, and Ice-Age sea levels sculpting the arches. An information board covers the geology and the modern fame: this is the Stormlands from Game of Thrones (seasons 2 and 8). Entry is free; a short, signposted walk from the square leads past Johann the goat and across the Glendun bridge into the chambers. The path is mostly level, but the cliffside sections are uneven – wear proper shoes and stick to the marked route to spare the fragile sandstone.
Wildlife and red squirrels
Cushendun is one of the best places in Northern Ireland to see red squirrels, especially early morning or late afternoon in the forest beside Glenmona House. For a proper look, the Cregagh Wood Walk is a 2 km one-way woodland trail with its own parking at St Patrick’s Church on Glendun Road. Down on the shore, grey seals haul out on the rocks at low tide, terns nest in the dunes in summer, and gulls and the odd peregrine work the cliffs. Bring binoculars and keep your distance from nesting birds and resting seals.
Practical information
Cushendun makes a good base for the wider Antrim Coast. A short drive brings you to the sea-cliff loop at Torr Head and the long sandy beach at Cushendall.
- Getting there: Cushendun lies just off the A2 coast road. It’s reachable by car or by Ulsterbus services running between Belfast, Ballymena and the coastal villages.
- Parking: Free car parks sit beside the Corner House tea-room and at Glenmona House. No booking, but space is limited – another reason to arrive before midday.
- Refreshments: You won’t go hungry. The Village Tearooms and Mary McBride’s Pub both serve food and drink in the village (seasonal menus), so there’s no need to stock up in Ballycastle.
- Access: The village, beach and caves are all within a five-minute walk of the car park; paths are fine for most visitors but uneven on the cliffs. Public toilets with disabled access are in two locations in the village.
- Opening times: Beach and village are open year-round. The caves have no set hours and are free to explore, but daylight is strongly advised.
- Best time to visit: Late spring to early autumn for warm weather, blooming dunes and the best chance of seals and seabirds.
Get there before midday for a parking spot and the caves in soft morning light – and if red squirrels are the goal, walk the woods by Glenmona first thing before the day-trippers arrive.