3 Day Classic Riding and Sightseeing Adventure

Our driver will pick you up at your accommodation and take you to our stables. On arrival Mr. McKinley and members of the Bespoke Equestrian Ireland (BEI) team will greet you with a warm, genuine welcome before heading to the barn for a stable tour and to meet the team of horses.

After selecting a horse and a riding assessment, you will spend 3 hours riding out into the wilderness of the North Antrim Hills with its heather clad slopes, looking down on to green pasture away below with panoramic views over the North Coast and 5 counties of Ireland. 

We will be riding past the old peat banks that were once the traditional source of fuel in Ireland for generations and can stop and do some peat cutting with the old traditional peat spades and get a few photographs before making our way back to the stables.

With riding over for the day you will be taken for lunch by our tour guide to a local restaurant before setting out for our first sightseeing experience along the world famous Causeway Coast. Today we will be taking in Northern Ireland’s number 1 visitor attraction The Titanic Centre in Belfast.

Explore the shipyard, walk the decks, travel to the depths of the ocean and uncover the true legend of Titanic in the city where it all began.

The immersive and interactive experience, along with state-of-the-art technology and attention to detail, helped the centre become the winner of the World’s Leading Visitor Attractions (World Travel Awards 2016).

Overnight: North Coast of Antrim

Enjoy a hearty full Irish breakfast before setting off to begin your adventures. Your driver will transport you to the iconic Downhill beach where your first glimpse of Downhill beach offers panoramic views of the ocean and landscape where miles of open sand, waterfalls and iconic views await. Enroute, we will pass the ancient trees of Mussendun before the journey continues past the ruins of Downhill House which was Frederick Augustus Hervey, Bishop of Derry and Earl of Bristol’s, 18th century home.

It is time to meet your trusty stead again at the entrance to the beach. Downhill beach is best known for its magnificent mountain backdrop, cliff scenery and views across to Donegal. As we enter the beach, we can stop at the foot of the cliff where Mussendun Temple is located for an ideal picture opportunity before taking a swift canter or gallop across miles of flat, open beach crossing the river on to Benone Strand, with miles of more sand beach to enjoy.

Afterwards your driver will collect you, take you for lunch to a local eatery, following which you will be visiting our second city of Derry known for its walls and history. Enjoy a tour of the Walled City, one of Ireland’s oldest, and most beautiful cities. The character, vibrant culture and rich history of the city are best experienced through a tour of its iconic walls, allowing you to step back in time to gain an insight into the 400-year-old history of the walls including the plantation of Ulster, the siege of Derry, the 24 fully restored canons, the Troubles, the iconic gates and the famous Saints of the city.

Overnight: North Coast of Antrim

Today we will transport the horses and saddle-up in the rugged hills above Ballycastle. We will be venturing to Loughareema, known locally as the Vanishing Lake, an area surrounded by Irish myths and legends. This ethereal lake, on the outskirts of a beautiful series of wild, expansive peatlands is often enshrouded by swirling mists. The true mystery of the lake is derived from its propensity to mysteriously vanish overnight, with the usually brimming body of water being no more.

The ’Vanishing Lake’ is an area surrounded by Irish myths and legends. Allow your guide to regal you with these tales, as you hear of the coachman and horses lost in a terrible storm! The group had tried to cross the lake when it was full of water, which they did not notice in the dead of night in this misty, desolate area. Rumours abound that, when the lake is at its fullest, the ghosts of this unfortunate party haunt the lake.

We will pass a winding laneway and be transported far away from the hustle and bustle of civilisation, where we will have the opportunity to explore a hidden gem which has historically been known only to locals. The McBride Family farm has a massive underground spring which leads to the Carey River, whose gentle, flowing waters will accompany you throughout your travels.

We will continue our ride on the Old Coach road to the edge of the famed Glen of Glendun, one of the 9 Glens of Antrim. This road was the main thoroughfare from the Coast to the Glens in bygone times, and whilst it has long been abandoned, in favour of more expedient routes, this route is well worth traversing. The Coach Road provides a fantastic vista from which to soak in the surrounding beauty of the Glens and the sea of Moyle, in all its glory.

It is time for lunch before catching the boat to Rathlin for a tour of the idyllic island with ancient history stretching back for hundreds of years. Rathlin Island has played its part in the legends of Robert the Bruce of Scotland, Sorley Boy McDonnell’s family history and Viking raids. Its waters harbour shipwrecks from World War II and WWI.

The ferry to Rathlin Island travels just six miles across the Sea of Moyle. This island is six miles long, one mile wide, “L” shaped and home to a slowly increasing population of around 140 people.

A short walk from the harbour is the Boathouse Visitor Centre where visitors can discover some of the exciting history, learn about present day island life and see some artefacts from shipwrecks around the island. Enjoy many of the walks the Island has to offer including along the shore to Mill Bay where you may see some of the resident seals basking or at play.

You can also avail of the hop on/hop off bus service on the island which will take you out to all the main points including the impressive Rathlin West Lighthouse and visitor centre. Watch out for puffins and many other breeds of birds perched on the cliffs around the lighthouse.

Cycle hire is another way to enjoy the island. Be sure to stop into McCuaig’s Bar near the Harbour where you are guaranteed to meet the locals, enjoy top quality pints of Guinness and relax in the surrounding beauty of the place before getting the boat back to Ballycastle Harbour.

Onward journey: We can book another night’s accommodation for you (contact our team) or we can help you plan your onward journey