An ancient castle on the tip of Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route offers a cosy stay and stunning views

The coastal scenery stretches before us as the train pulls out of Belfast on a cold afternoon. Verdant hills and valleys, picturesque towns, and odd rock formations battered by the Irish Sea. Along the way the train stops at several charming coastal towns before Larne’s more industrial aesthetics hone into view.

My wife, Aislinn, and I get off in the port town and take a taxi to Ballygally Castle Hotel, situated in a tiny village of the same name along the Causeway Coast, a sweep of Antrim shoreline that’s home to some of Europe’s most arresting natural scenery.

We arrive to a very warm welcome from the hotel’s manager, Norma Craig, who has worked there for more than 25 years. Norma immediately gives a tour of the hotel’s gardens, regaling us with ghostly tales of the building’s past. The castle, which dates back to the 17th century, is home to a famous resident ghost, Lady Isobel Shaw, who has been haunting the castle for over 400 years, according to legend (and Norma).

Lady Shaw was the wife of Lord James Shaw, who wanted a male heir to inherit his estate. When she did not deliver a son, Lord Shaw locked her in a room at the top of the castle and, in a desperate attempt to escape, she fell to her death. You can stay in one of the castle’s tower rooms dedicated to Lady Isobel, but we’ve opted for a ghost-free double with sea views across to Scotland. Dinner that evening is in the hotel’s Garden Restaurant. With an open fire roaring and hearty food made with care using local produce and herbs from the garden, it’s precisely what the season and setting required.

Early the following morning, Billy Scott, a local Blue Badge guide with decades of experience, arrives to pick me up. To say Billy chose the right profession, one which requires a lot of talking, is to say that the sea on the Antrim coast is cold. Realising it would be just the two of us for the next five hours, I’m worried about awkward silence. I needn’t be, though. Easy company and funny, Billy weaves stories of tongue-in-cheek (I think) mysticism with authentic tales of dead chieftains, bloody battles, and the fascinating history that has shaped this part of Ireland, physically and culturally.

Highlights include a stop at the beautiful Ballintoy harbour, the twin towns of Cushendall and Cushendun, and a venture inland through the famous Glens of Antrim, a series of nine valleys that cut deep into the landscape. Finally, we end up at the Giant’s Causeway, the county’s crown jewel and Unesco World Heritage Site. The visitors’ centre has had a significant facelift since I last visited in the late 90s. It’s now state-of-the-art with interactive displays about the history and geology of the area.

Later, Aislinn and I venture to nearby Carnlough for dinner at the Londonderry Arms Hotel, which has been developed and extended over the years, but retains its original Georgian architecture. Our delicious meal is enhanced by an engaging chat with owner Denise O’Neill, who gives us a potted history of the hotel. Back at Ballygally, we end our evening with a nightcap by the fire in the hotel bar.

The next morning, we explore the hotel grounds and walk the nearby Ballygally Beach. The gardens are maintained beautifully, with a stream running through and leading out to the sea. The bracing wind along the shore helps blow the cobwebs off – it’s easy to see why people travel from far and wide to this enchanting stretch of storm-torn coastline.