Ballycastle

Ballycastle (from Irish Baile an Chaistil, meaning 'town of the castle') is a small seaside town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is on the north-easternmost coastal tip of Ireland, in the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Ballycastle lies at roughly the midpoint of the Causeway Coastal Route and is a gateway to both the Glens of Antrim and the North Coast. With a number of attractions on the town's doorstep such as the Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and the Dark Hedges it is a popular destination and stopping point for tourists. The town also benefits from a sweeping bay and beach on its eastern side, with views to Fair Head and Knocklayde mountain dominating the landscape. The town has been recognised on a number of occasions by The Sunday Times on their "Best Places To Live" list, and has been previously crowned the overall regional winner for Northern Ireland. The harbour hosts the ferry to Rathlin Island and a smaller passenger and charter service to Campbeltown and Port Ellen in Scotland, with both Rathlin Island and Scotland's Kintyre peninsula able to be seen from the coast. The Ould Lammas Fair is held each year in Ballycastle on the last Monday and Tuesday of August. Ballycastle is the home of the Corrymeela Community. Ballycastle had a population of 5,628 at the 2021 census. It was the seat and main settlement of the former Moyle District Council.