The Causeway Coast Coastal Attractions

The Giant's Causeway Carrick a Rede Dunluce Castle Mussenden Temple Downhill Demense Mountsandel Fort Coastal Attractions Map

Towns & Villages

Coleraine Castlerock Portrush Portstewart Portballintrae Bushmills Ballintoy Ballycastle Towns & Villages Map

Beaches of the Coast

All Beaches Benone Strand Downhill Beach Castlerock Beach Portstewart Strand Portrush West Strand Portrush East Strand Whiterocks Portrush Runkerry / Bushfoot Strand Portballintrae Salmon Rock Beach Ballycastle Strand Surfing Beaches Swimming Beaches Beaches Map

Golfing on the Coast Maps of the Coast

Beaches Map Dog Beaches Map Surfing Beaches Map Swimming Beaches Map Towns & Villages Map Walks and Trails Map Golf Clubs Map Coastal Attractions Map

Have you visited?

Royal Portrush

Mussenden Temple

Ballycastle Golf Club

Portballintrae / Salmon Rock Beach

Portballintrae

Whiterocks Portrush

Portstewart Strand

Portrush West Strand

Old Bushmills Distillery

Castlerock

Bushmills

Bushmills is a small inland village on the Causeway Coast. It is the closest town to the world famous Giants Causeway, only 2 miles to the North. The Town Centre is quaint and feels like you have stepped back in time, with the old fashioned shop frontages and the Bushmills Distillery. Bushmills has the highest number of Listed Buildings for any town or village in the North East Area. It is 7 miles from Coleraine and 12 miles from Ballycastle.

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Bushmills Map

Named after the mills on the River Bush...

River Bush outside Bushmills, Northern Ireland Bushmills was named, in the 17th Century, after the River Bush, a reveered River that starts in the Antrim Hills and flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Portballintrae and a mill that was powered by the river.

The Town Centre is quaint and feels like you have stepped back in time with the old fashioned shop frontages and the Distillery.

You may be lucky enough to see the 'old guys' sitting on the park benches in 'The Diamond', no doubt chatting about 'The Good Old Days'.

The narrow central road through the village is aptly named "Main Street", it is lined with historic listed houses and shops.

Causeway School, Bushmills, Northern Ireland Bushmills has the highest number of Listed Buildings for any town or village in the North East Area.

Main Street leads to the Town war memorial in the heart of the village, named 'The Diamond'.

In the 1820's the MacNaghten family of 'Bushmills House' were responsible for re-inventing Bushmills as a market village, first established in 1828 with the formation of Market Square itself around 1840.

Pub across from Dunluce, outside Bushmills, Northern Ireland

The market town attracted attention as people frequented it more. It had seven active water-powered mills along the river and the region and specifically The Giant's Causeway was becoming a very popular tourist destination.

Bushmills Whiskey

In 1788 Bushmills had five licensed distilleries. Today the Old Bushmills Distillery is a major tourist attraction.

You can visit the distillery, taking various tours to experience how the world's most famous whiskey is made!

The current building is from the Victorian era, built in the late 1800's. It's worth reading the full history on their website.

Bushmills Distillery - Old Bushmills Distillery

The eminent Distillery also stages the newly popular festival 'Bushmills Live', a 'festival of handcrafted whiskey and music'.

This vibrant music event began in 2012 and now reliably draws crowds to Bushmills each year in June.

The Giants Causeway and Bushmills Railway

The Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway runs through the sand dunes above Runkerry Strand on it's 15 minutes trip between Bushmills and The Giant's Causeway.

This Journey is a great experience for people for all ages and a real treat for train enthusiasts! It is, where possible, our preferred way to arrive for a visit to the Giant's Causeway! The start of the line is the railway station just outside Bushmills Town on Ballaghmore Road to Portballintrae.

Giants Causeway and Bushmills Railway

The Giants Causeway and Bushmills Railway leaves from just outside Bushmills Village on its 20 minute journey of 2 miles to and from the Giants Causeway, along the track bed of what used to be the Giants Causeway Tram. The diesel locomotive runs 4 times a day between 11am and 2.30pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Children, in particular, love being on the train. Visit Giants Causeway and Bushmills Railway