Backpacking In Northern Ireland🔴✋️☘️: Getting The Ferry From Ballycastle To Rathlin Island

“The liberty ship disappeared a long long time ago, searching the seas for love” – Noel Gallagher.

Since I was a kid, I have always loved ferry travel. I used to build Lego ferries and I often took ferries on summer holidays. Caught in the here and now, whackpacking a world that’s been and gone, things got delayed. Rathlin Island had to wait…

I’d sail on ferries, I’d build them out of Lego (above, my model from 1989) and in my twenties I finally got a job working on ferries where I served drink and food whilst working for Seamariner, Wightlink, Condor Ferries and Brittany Ferries. I worked on routes such as Lymington, Poole and Weymouth (England), Saint Peter Port (Guernsey), Saint Helier (Jersey), Yarmouth (Isle of Wight), Cherbourg and Saint Malo (France).

Before all that, I loved the buzz of travelling on ferries in Northern Ireland and I often took the Portaferry to Strangford ferry. I’d estimate I’ve done 2,000 ferry crossings in my life. At Wightlink, we’d often do 10 or 12 per shift, on 5 days a week, that’s 50 – 60 per week, in 10 weeks, it’s 500 – 600. And I spent two seasons working hardcore on ferries, doing the France, Guernsey and Jersey runs for Condor Ferries.

Plus, as well as those 2,000+ ferry crossings, I also got boats…

• From Uruguay to Argentina (Colonia Del Sacramento to Buenos Aires)
• From Melbourne to Devonport (Australia to Tasmania)
• From Picton to Wellington (New Zealand South Island to North Island)
• From Brazil to French Guyana
• From French Guyana to Suriname
• From Suriname to Guyana
• From Botswana to Zambia
• From Senegal to The Gambia

• From Ma Wan to Hong Kong (30+ times)
• From Hong Kong Island to Kowloon (30+ times)
• Circling Manhattan, USA
• On Lake Ontario, Canada
• At Maid Of The Mist, Canada
• A Dhow on Doha Harbour
• From Cebu to Bohol, The Philippines

• From Labuan in Malaysia to Serasa in Brunei
• On The Caspian Sea
• From Tallinn in Estonia to Helsinki in Finland
• From Ushuaia in Argentina to Antarctica
• And countless others!!

Yet despite all of that, it wasn’t until September 2022 that I finally visited Northern Ireland’s largest island – Rathlin Island! Of course Northern Ireland has lots of islands and I’d be on a few as a teenager in Strangford Lough when my childhood friend Peter Bell and his stepdad Ken took me on their yacht sailing on summer weekends. Northern Ireland has islands such as Copeland Island, Oxford Island and Audley Island. There’s is also Islandhill (which I have backpacked) and the famous Daft Eddie’s, which is on Sketrick Island. We have a few red herrings too – islands which are not actually islands – Greenisland and Islandmagee!

However in 2022, I decided to finally visit it, with my Dad who had also remarkably never been! We were heading to Rathlin for the first time ever!

How To Get To Rathlin Island From Northern IrelandMainland

In short, to get a ferry to Rathlin Island, you depart from Ballycastle in County Antrim. I was there on a wet, windy day in September 2022…

Aldergrove To Ballycastle Via Logan’s Northern Ireland

However, my journey started in Glasgow, Scotland and my Dad’s journey started in Bangor, Northern Ireland! I landed in Belfast Aldergrove International Airport and Dad picked me up with a flask of coffee and we drove to Logan’s of Cloughmills, Ballymena! As a kid, Logan’s was always our stopover on trips to the north coast when we would backpack Portballintrae, Giant’s Causeway, Bushmills, Castlerock, Limavady, Portrush and Portstewart!

After a morning coffee and reminiscing at Logan’s we drove up to the north coast at Ballycastle, which is a lovely town in County Antrim.

The drive from Logan’s to Ballycastle took about half an hour. It’s a calm, cool and easy road.

The Ferry Terminal in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland

Ballycastle is a lovely coastal town in Northern Ireland. The ferry terminal is easy to find on the coastal road.

You can grab tea and coffee and snacks at the Ferry Terminal where you also buy your ticket. We booked a day return for passengers only. Dad parked the car in Ballycastle so we were not taking the car over to Rathlin Island. At Ballycastle Harbour, there is some information on ferries.

There is a car park at the harbour which is free parking if you are booking the ferry, though I’m not sure they check this if you just wanted to park here for a dander.

Here was the timetable from 2022, but please check it and keep up to date. Trevor Warman of Nomadic Backpacker backpacked it more recently than me here –

Nomadic Backpacker at Rathlin Island

Nomadic Backpacker pub crawling Rathlin Island

For recent ferry prices, check out the website of Rathlin Island Ferry.

Please note that the sailings can be cancelled and this does regularly happen, even the week we did it – wind, sea, weather, strikes, or even just lack of staff and lack of money can all affect it, so plan ahead and have a Plan B! Oh and get there early for the FIRST ferry of the day. That way, even if the first one is cancelled, you have more chances. There are NO night sailings, none.

In 2022, the ticket was £12.00 return. That’s Northern Irish pounds which is pegged to the GB / UK Pound. For me, at that time, I find this very decent value. I have backpacked the world and I was impressed at this price, especially since the journey itself is brilliant – it’s basically a boat tour on route! You can pay in cash or on card.

Crossing From Ballycastle to Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland

Then it was time to board, show our tickets (checked on the way onboard) and relax. I love ferries and spent time on deck, walking around and in the inside deck. It was brilliant. The trip takes around 25 – 35 minutes! Here are some photos of the amazing journey to Rathlin Island.

The ferry we were on was called The Rathlin Express. I simply loved it, and Dad did too. Then it was time to explore Rathlin Island, we had all day from about 8.30 a.m. until 4 p.m. (the last ferry back to the Northern Irish mainland).

Backpacking On Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland

It was time to tour the sights and go backpacking on Rathlin Island. Sadly the only bus wasn’t operating that day, and Dad’s knee operation was in December 2021 so we hiked to the top of the hill and backpacked the sights nearby, having lunch on the beach, touring the museum, football stadium and of course a pint in the bar –

In short, here’s a general guide on how to do it…

1. From Ballycastle:
   • Ballycastle is the most common departure point for ferries to Rathlin Island and basically the main one.
   • You can reach Ballycastle by car or public transport. There are bus services connecting Ballycastle with other towns in Northern Ireland.
   • Once you’re in Ballycastle, head to the ferry terminal, where you can purchase tickets and board the ferry to Rathlin Island.
2. Ferry Schedule:
   • Make sure to check the ferry schedule in advance, as departure times may vary depending on the season and weather conditions.
   • You can usually find the ferry schedule and book tickets online through the ferry operator’s website or by contacting them directly.
3. Booking Tickets:
   • It’s recommended to book your ferry tickets in advance, especially during peak seasons or if you have specific travel times in mind.
   • You can book tickets online or purchase them at the ferry terminal.
4. Enjoy Your Journey:
   • Once you’re on board, sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenic journey across the water to Rathlin Island.
   • Keep in mind that ferry crossings are subject to weather conditions, so be prepared for possible delays, especially during rough seas.

By following these steps, you should be able to easily get a ferry to Rathlin Island and enjoy your visit to this beautiful destination off the coast of Northern Ireland.

Here are some videos from my trip to Rathlin Island: