Overview
Ramore Head (Irish: Ceann na Rátha Móire) is the rocky dolerite tip of the peninsula that Portrush sits on, pointing north-northwest into the Atlantic. The rocks underfoot once settled an argument: the dolerite here, forced up molten into older Jurassic shales and baked into fossil-rich hornfels, was among the evidence that convinced 19th-century geologists basalt forms from cooled lava rather than sea-floor sediment. The headland has been an Area of Special Scientific Interest since 1996.
For most visitors it’s simpler than that: a short, level loop of clifftop path with a green behind it, all of it free and open at any hour. If you’ve only twenty minutes, walk out to the point for the view and turn back – the interest is all at the tip.
The walk and the view
The path around the head is level and even, part of the Port Path, which links into the Causeway Coast Way and the Ulster Way. A common short circuit starts at the East Strand car park, crosses the head and comes back along West Strand. It’s easy going until the cliff-edge viewpoint itself, which has steps and uneven rock – worth knowing if you’re pushing a buggy or wheelchair, as the main path is fine but the edge is not.
From the point, the string of low islands offshore is the Skerries, the eroded remains of the same volcanic activity that built the headland. They’re a serious seabird site: kittiwakes, black guillemots and eider breed out there. On a clear evening the sunset runs west towards Donegal, and lucky watchers pick out dolphins, the odd small whale, or a basking shark passing the head in summer.
Behind the cliffs, the recreation green has tennis courts, lawn bowls and a children’s adventure playground – a practical spot to let kids run while someone else takes the longer look at the sea.
Diving and marine life
Ramore Head is a recognised boat-dive site, worked from Portrush harbour. Depths reach around 23 m, currents are moderate and visibility usually runs 5–10 m, over a seabed of kelp forest and red algae holding lobster, crab, wrasse and small-spotted catshark. It suits certified divers with some open-water experience rather than complete beginners.
Practical information
| Facility | Details |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Open 24 hours, year-round (ungated access) |
| Admission | Free |
| Parking | Car park on the headland, free; larger car park nearby |
| Toilets | Public toilets at the nearby large car park, not on the headland itself |
| Accessibility | Main path level and even; the cliff-edge viewpoint has steps and uneven rock |
| Dogs | Permitted, but keep on a lead near the cliffs and nesting birds |
Getting there
- By car – Follow the A2 coastal road from Belfast or Derry to Portrush; signs direct you to the harbour and the Ramore Head car park.
- By train – The Coleraine–Portrush branch line ends at Portrush station, a short walk from the headland.
- By bus – Regular services run from Belfast, Derry and nearby towns to Portrush town centre; walk down towards the harbour.
When to go
Winter is the underrated call: storm-watching from the head, with Atlantic swells breaking against the base of the cliffs, is the most dramatic Ramore gets – bring waterproofs and something to hold onto. Summer gives the long evenings and the warmest water for divers; spring brings wildflowers and returning migrants to the Skerries; autumn tends to throw the best cloud for photographers.
Nearby
Follow the Port Path east to Portstewart for the wide strand and the harbour there. Check the tide before you set out: low water exposes more of the Skerries and the rock pools below the head.