A series of new speciality tours are amongst some of the highlights planned for the reopening of The Gobbins Cliff Path.
The spectacular coastal walk is getting ready to open this spring following its annual maintenance programme of works. The new tours include:
• Tales of the Sea: Nautical stories from The Gobbins Cliff Path, scheduled for Friday 01 April and Sunday 03 April, will see attendees take a three-hour journey into the East Coast’s seafaring and maritime history with the help of a knowledgeable tour guide.
With tales of smugglers and Vikings to shipwrecks of times gone by, participants will make their way along the path, looking out at sea and imagining what it must have been like to stand at ‘The Gallery’ and catch a glimpse of the Titanic as it sailed past.
• Discover The Gobbins: When spells go wrong – The Tale of the Dragon-Witch, is a child-friendly experience where attendees will learn about ill-fated witch sisters and powerful spells.
Effortlessly woven together, a story of fairies, witches, dragons and smugglers will be told as you travel through towering giant stones and dimly lit caves listening out for strange and unfamiliar sounds along the way. Taking place on Saturday 02 April and Sunday 03 April, this three-hour tour covers three miles of walking.
• The Gobbins Through a Lens, taking place Monday 04 April and Saturday 09 April, is an intimate photography tour that will allow participants to capture the magnificent beauty of the churning Irish Sea waves and vibrant nature along the rugged landscape of The Gobbins Cliff Path.
An adult-only experience, attendees will be accompanied along a knowledgeable guide, who has been trained by a professional photographer to point out key scenery, plants, unique rock formations and wildlife in this Area of Special Scientific Interest.
Photographers will be able to take in the dramatic scenery with exclusive access over four hours.
• ‘Dander Aroon’ The Gobbins: An Ulster-Scots Heritage Tour, attendees will be advised to houl onto their hats as they discover how centuries-old traditions shared with our Scottish kin still impact the way we talk and live to the current day.
Taking place Wednesday 06 April and Saturday 09 April, this 3.5-hour tour will see the stunning vista transform into the stage for a vibrant historical journey, filled with culture, adventure and heritage as you gaze across the North Channel to the bonny isles of Scotland.
• Brace the Elements: A Bracing Tour of The Gobbins Cliff Path is a three-hour adult-only experience where attendees must embrace the wild elements of nature whilst exploring the spectacular coastline in blustery weather conditions as they take on the lower cliff path.
Braving the blustery weather conditions will result in being rewarded with breathtaking views into the North Channel where, on a good day, you can spot seals, dolphins and even porpoises that hunt in surrounding waters. Due to the nature of this tour, dates will be dependent on weather conditions.
Welcoming the new series of tours, Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Councillor William McCaughey said:
“Initiatives such as this will act as a further promotional boost to The Gobbins Cliff Path. Mid and East Antrim has a strong tourism heritage and I’m delighted that council is working together with a number of stakeholders to present it to a bigger and more varied audience.
“Development has been funded by Tourism NI’s COVID Market Led Product Development Programme. Such investment in new and improved exciting experiences are not only aligned to Northern Ireland’s tourism brand – ‘Embrace a Giant Spirit’ – but they also aim to spread tourist traffic throughout the country, including Mid and East Antrim.
“This programme aims to make initiatives such as these sustainable to sell to tour operators, as well as allowing Council to run a series of regular public events, all the while showcasing the incredible tourism opportunities we have.”
Ciaran Doherty, Head of Regions at Tourism NI said:
“We welcome the council’s plans to launch a programme of new speciality tours in line with The Gobbins Cliff Path reopening this spring. With support from our Market Led Product Development Programme, I am confident that the immersive programme will create new and compelling reasons to visit the Gobbins and the wider Mid and East Antrim area.”
Tickets for all events are on sale now via: