Gobbins Cliff Path

RetiredCormac
1 day ago
3 min read

Updated: 10 hours ago

The Gobbins Cliff Path isn't just your bog standard coastal walk. It's an energetic two hours spent navigating an interesting cliff path consisting of bridges and tunnels carved into the cliff rock, and just a few metres above the ever changing sea below.

Is it Worth Visiting?

If you're in Belfast, and have access to a car, this is one of Northern Ireland's cool half-day trips.

It's a simple 30min drive north out of Belfast, to reach the Gobbins Visitors Centre, which has easy parking, cafe and toilets available.

Booking and Arrival

Booking is essential - as availability seems to fill up fast.

We took a short minibus ride to the start of the walk.

Groups are relatively small, with around 15 people on our tour.

Safety and what to wear

At the visitors centre we completed a short safety briefing, and tried on our helmets.

Boots with ankle support are required - they aren’t optional - but suitable boots (not sure about socks) were available for hire for just £5.00, if required.

There were maybe 5 or 6 groups on the cliff at any one time, and the people traffic was well managed with the various groups crossing over each other at wider parts of the trail.

Additional staff are positioned along the route in case assistance is needed.

What the walk is actually like

We walked down the steps hill to sea level - where the walk started along the cliff path.

There is a single guide for each group. You don’t get the option of exploring yourself and must remain with the group. The facts and figures from the tour guide were quite light - but the visitors centre and website has all the detail that you might want.

It’s a walk out to an end point, turn around and then all the way back. Slower on the way out, as you stop frequently, pretty fast on the way back.

The path remains close to sea level - so there shouldn’t be any issues for those that don’t like heights. The cabling and supports are all well maintained, so again no worries with safety.

It was a warm July morning, and the wind was not bad. So shorts and a shirt were ideal to remain comfortable - I unfortunately went in jeans.

Dress for the weather though - as it is obviously exposed.

The views are pretty cool - you can see Scotland on a good day.

Keep some energy in reserve for the walk back up to the minibus drop-off area.

Wildlife

We saw lots of seagulls up close and a few puffins swimming out at sea.

History of Gobbins Cliff Path

It's a cliff path walk dating back to 1901, built by the railway as a tourist attraction. Recently re-opened after some damage in the last couple of years - and thus very popular.

The path was the vision of railway engineer Berkeley Deane Wise and was first opened in 1902 to encourage day rail tourism from Belfast.

The engineering, and by that I mean the various bridges and tunnels, are as impressive as the scenery.

If you do want all the detail - https://www.thegobbinscliffpath.com

Final verdict

It was a good long walk - nothing too strenuous or difficult - but a good solid 2 hour walk nonetheless. Leave 3 hours for the full experience, and arrive 15mins early to make use of the toilets. The cafe looked pretty good as well, and served snacks as well as lunches.

Would I do it again?

No, I don’t think so. Definitely something that I enjoyed - but once you’ve seen it once, I don’t think a second time would have the same impact.

Certainly recommend it though.