The walking route has been named the cleanest in the UK and provides some incredible views as well but you will need to check to ensure it is open before you embark on a trip
The Gobbins(Image: )
The Gobbins, a thrilling cliff path in Co Antrim, has been crowned the cleanest hiking trail in the UK.
This rare and awe-inspiring route, which stretches for three miles along the treacherous cliffs of Co Antrim, topped the list in a survey by Independent Cottages. The ranking was based on over 1,300 reviews, none of which mentioned any uncleanliness.
The Gobbins presents a surreal landscape, shaped by powerful geological forces and further sculpted by nature. Today, it teems with life and continues to captivate adventurous visitors, just as it has done for over a hundred years.
The story of the Gobbins began around 200 million years ago when the Earth’s continents were united in the supercontinent, Pangaea. The area that would become northeast Ireland was submerged under a warm, shallow sea.
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Algae and single-celled organisms thrived in these waters, their calcium carbonate shells accumulating on the seafloor over time to form a layer of limestone, reported the Express.
This limestone is responsible for the coastlines and caves that dot Ireland today. It also forms the base of the Gobbins’ remarkable rock formations.
Above this lies basalt, a product of eruptions from now-extinct volcanoes. This basalt has been fractured and moulded by the movement of tectonic plates as Pangaea split apart, and later by vast ice sheets during ice ages.
The outcome is one of the most striking stretches of coastline to be found anywhere across the British Isles, offering a wealth of habitats for diverse bird species and marine creatures. The Gobbins, for instance, hosts Northern Ireland’s sole mainland puffin colony, with these charismatic birds nesting in the cliff-face soil disrupted by ancient glaciers.
“Guillemots, razorbills, cormorants, and kittiwakes make their homes high in the rocks and scan the waters from perches on the sea stacks. The depths teem with fish, feeding in the plankton-rich waters of the North Channel. Lion’s Mane jellyfish, one of the largest such species, migrate through here, providing prey for seals, porpoises and other marine mammals,” according to the official Gobbins Cliff Path website.
“Low tide exposes the rockpools under the path, a home for molluscs, sponges and weird nodules of red seaweed. Spleenwort ferns, kidney vetch, and sea campion cling to cracks in the rocks or hold down patches of volcanic soil.”
The spectacular natural landscape has transformed the location into an essential destination for ramblers, first attracting crowds of Victorian-era naturalists and daytrippers. Berkeley Deane Wise played a pivotal role in shaping the Gobbins as we know it today.
The civil engineer, who had climbed to the position of Chief Engineer of the Belfast and County Down Railway and pioneered an innovative signalling system that cut down accidents on his routes, possessed a deep commitment to safety and captivating design. His portfolio includes Portrush’s distinctive mock Tudor structure and clock tower, alongside Glenariff Forest’s pathways and tearoom, which offer spectacular vistas of the woodland and cascading waters.
However, The Gobbins Cliff Path stands as his crowning achievement, perfectly showcasing his engineering brilliance in making remarkable experiences accessible to everyday folk.
Construction commenced in 1901 and spanned several years, given the challenge of transporting steel girder bridges manufactured in Belfast via barges and rafts. These were subsequently hoisted into position using cables lowered from the clifftop.
The pathway became an enormous hit, drawing substantial visitor numbers from throughout the British Isles. “There is, in short, nothing like The Gobbins anywhere else in the world,” noted a correspondent in the Proceedings of the British Association in 1902.
A journalist for The Sketch remarked: “Surely there is something in the influence of the Irish climate which acts upon the rocks. The tints are softer and deeper. The very air is laden with poetry.”
The Gobbins route does get shut owing to rockfall. Those considering a trip should consult the official website for the latest information on its reopening.
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