A RUINED CLIFFTOP CASTLE WHERE IRISH & SCOTTISH HISTORY COLLIDED
Located just outside Bushmills village, the ruins of Dunluce Castle sit at the heart of a dramatic landscape and tumultuous history.
Come and learn how Scottish and Irish history collide here. The castle was first built by the MacQuillan family, once of Scotland, in 1500. But the fortress was seized by the Clan MacDonnell in the 1560s. Clan chieftain Sorley Boy MacDonnell also had territories in Scotland.
In the 17th century, it became the seat of the earls of County Antrim, where it is located. While the castle technically still belongs to the MacDonnell clan, it is now under the care of the Northern Irish Environment Agency.
You can come to this haunting ruined fortress and take in the majestic views from its precarious location atop a sheer, rocky cliff of basalt.
Recent excavations have also revealed the remains of what used to be Dunluce Town, a small settlement established around the castle in 1608, but destroyed during the Irish uprising of 1641.
Entrance fee required.
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