Spotlight on: Ballyness Caravan Park

17/01/2022

Ballyness Caravan Park in Bushmills, near the Antrim Coast World Heritage Site, was only our second campsite during our Northern Ireland trip, but it proved to be the best by far and we congratulated ourselves on booking three nights here.

From the friendly welcome at reception, with just the right amount of information about the campsite and the local area, and interest in my Polish surname, to the immaculate facilities and our lovely pitch, everything was just right.

The pitches are divided into small areas, separated by hedges and plants, and most pitches are offset from their neighbours, so we were never looking into someone else’s living area while relaxing in our campervan. I appreciated the roomy showers in the central facilities building and the large washing-up area and laundry. Gentle radio music played here and I had to be careful not to start singing in the shower!

We had picked Ballyness partly for its glowing reviews, but also for its location. Close to the world-renowned Bushmills Distillery, the campsite is also within walking distance of the stunning Giant’s Causeway. We used the Causeway Rambler bus to get to the impressive cliff-lined White Park Bay, where the coastal path took us around the dramatic coastline to the beautiful interlocking basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway. From the Visitor Centre back to the campsite is an easy 3½-mile walk (or cycle), following the old railway line.

Bushmills is a pleasant town with some excellent cafés near the Clock Tower, a nineteenth century round tower. There are also a couple of small supermarkets and other shops. We walked by the Bush River that gives the town its name. There were once seven mills along the river and we spotted a renovated waterwheel.

We also used the bus to get to Dunluce Castle, a medieval ruin perched on the cliffs with views over the sea. We walked back from here via Portballintrae where we sat in the Bayview Hotel, overlooking the harbour, and enjoyed hot chocolate, laced with Bushmills whiskey, of course!

Ballyness Caravan Park
40 Castlecatt Road, Bushmills, Co Antrim BT57 8TN
02820 732393

This site review first appeared in MMM magazine, December 2021 issue, submitted by Carol Kubicki