Rathlin Island

Rathlin Island is an island off the coast of County Antrim in Northern Ireland, and is the northernmost point of the region. Ten km from the mainland, Rathlin is the only inhabited offshore island in Northern Ireland, and is the most northerly inhabited island off Ireland. The L-shaped island is 7 km from east to west, and 4 km from north to south. Rathlin is located only 25 km from the Mull of Kintyre, the southern tip of Scotland's Kintyre peninsula. It is part of the Moyle District Council area.

Related Topics:
County Antrim - Northern Ireland - Northernmost point - Ireland - Mull of Kintyre - Scotland - Kintyre - Moyle District Council

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A ferry (operated by Caledonian Macbrayne) connects the main port of the island, Church Bay, with the mainland at Ballycastle. The ferry only carries foot passengers. Caledonian Macbrayne won a 10-year contract for the service in 1996, providing it as a subsidised "lifeline" service.

Related Topics:
Caledonian Macbrayne - Ballycastle - 1996

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Rathlin is one of 43 Special Areas of Conservation in Northern Ireland. It is home to tens of thousands of seabirds, including Kittiwakes, Puffins and Razorbills – about 30 bird families in total. The cliffs on this relatively bare island are impressive, standing 70 metres tall. Bruce's Cave is named after Robert (the) Bruce, also known as Robert I of Scotland: it was here that he was said to have seen the famous spider.

Related Topics:
Special Areas of Conservation in Northern Ireland - Kittiwake - Puffin - Razorbill - Robert I of Scotland

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The island formerly boasted a population of around 1000, but its current winter population is around 75. This is swelled by visitors in the summer, most come to view the cliffs and their huge seabird populations. Many visitors come for the day, and the island has around 30 beds for overnight visitors. The visitors' centre at Church Bay is open from May to August, with minibus tours and bicycle hire available. The island is also popular with divers, who come to explore the many wrecked ships in the surrounding waters.

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Rathlin Island's dialect of Irish is now extinct, but was in many respects closer to Scottish Gaelic in some of its features than much of Irish, particularly the southern dialects.

Related Topics:
Irish - Scottish Gaelic

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See also: Conservation in the United Kingdom

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