Where giants used to roam. (Giant's Causeway)

Member Name: jessyclown

Product:	Giant's Causeway
Date:	10/05/01 (550 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: full of magic

Disadvantages: Quite a lot of walking to do

With the tales of Finn Maccool and his disagreement with the Scottish giant in our heads we went to visit the giants causeway.

Could this once have been a road across the sea to Scotland built by Finn Maccool to go across to visit his ladylove in Staffa Scotland? Could an Irish giant outwit a Scottish one by pretending to be his own baby? Did the Scottish giant really break the causeway afraid of Finn? When we got to the causeway we could see where the stories come from. There is an old lady climbing a hill, she has been climbing that hill for many years! Did smoke ever come out of the chimney stacks? There is the grand organ with pipes up the cliff side, when was that last played? Do you want to make a wish? If you do there is the wishing chair to sit in where Finn sat as a child. If you sit on this chair and wish your wishes will come true or so they say!

Not only is the Giants causeway a place of stories and fantasies it is also an incredibly beautiful part of the coast of Antrim. The basalt columns in the causeway area make such a regular pattern it is an unexpected sight in nature. It is due to the appearance of the columns that you can easily imagine that the causeway has been man made with hexagonal paving stones. Geologists explain the structure of this part of the coast line as the result of lava flows from volcanic eruptions which were cooled quickly millions of years ago followed by erosion from the ice age and coastal erosion.

The walk around the whole of the Giant causeway is not very long and most fit families can easily cope. As you walk along you can let your imagination run riot and feed the tales of giants of old. If you are not so keen to walk there is a minibus that runs from the visitor’s centre to the main part of the causeway at a reasonable price. The causeway platform is a great place to clamber over. It is like a giant play area with hexagonal steps to climb up, and seats to rest on. If y
ou like beaches with rock pools, pebbles and craggy rocks this is a great place to be. There is no sand here to get into your sandwiches but it is a lovely picnic spot.

At the visitors centre there are all the amenities you could wish for. They include cafes that provide a nice place to enjoy a snack. Shops sell the full range of souvenirs and gifts. The toilets are kept clean and comfortable to use. There is a good-sized car park with plenty of spaces for cars and coaches. They are very ready to take your money for the parking.

The whole of the Antrim coast has a lot of treasures to offer and is well worth visiting, but do not forget to visit the Giants Causeway.

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