Guided walking tour of Blackhead Path
Walk the famous coastal path to Blackhead Lighthouse with local historian Steve Diamond
The Lighthouse, the ghost, and the teacher in a cave: a guided walking tour of Blackhead Coastal Path.
Who ate dead birds? Who swam with sharks? Whose ghost haunts the sea caves? Find out by walking the path to Blackhead Lighthouse with local historian Steve Diamond.
Where Ice Age relics dominate the shore, and boiling lava burst from the earth, a stunning coastal walk is waiting for you to come and explore. Local historian Steve Diamond will be your guide to the wildlife, geology, and history of the famous Blackhead Coastal Path.
From Victorian times visitors have marvelled at the sea caves here, thanks to the visionary engineer Berkeley Deane Wise who imagined and built this special path to take visitors around a shore where rocks and cliffs and channels meet.
You’ll ascend a steep cliff to enjoy the views that greeted generations of lighthouse keepers. While many lighthouses lie on out-of-reach islands, here you can walk the perimeter wall of one. Hear how it was once clockwork-powered, had a water supply that you’d want a non-smoker to taste test, and more secrets of the light that watches over Belfast Lough.
From the clifftops you can look down on where a WWI shipwreck lies on the seabed and imagine where airships watched for submarines. RMS Titanic passed this point three different times. Hear the stories of a teacher who lived in a sea cave, a vegan wrestler who swam between continents, a hero who saved scores of lives at sea, and the lost Captain of the Golden Steps.
On your return journey you might see local wildlife highlights where lizards, seals and seabirds patrol the shore. Your walk by the sea will be full of surprises, stories, and stunning views.
This event has been funded by Tourism NI COVID Market Led Product Development Programme 2021-22
Additional information:
- Wednesday 16 March, departing at 2pm.
- Tour lasts 2.5 hours.
- Maximum 12 people.
- Tickets cost £10 per adult (16+) and £5 for those between 4 and 16.
- Meeting point: the grassy picnic area at the start of the path. Your guide will be holding a white folder.
- Parking available at Black Head Path car park, Old Castle Road, Whitehead, BT38 9LH.
- Walking route includes many steep steps and cliff paths.
- Sturdy shoes or walking boots and waterproof coats are recommended.