Carrick-a-Rede
| Carrick-a-Rede | ||
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| Waters | North channel | |
| Geographical location | 55 ° 14 '25.2 " N , 6 ° 19' 53.1" W | |
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| length | 170 m | |
| width | 100 m | |
| Residents | uninhabited | |
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Carrick-a-Rede (also Carrick-a-Rade or Carrickarade , Irish Carraig an Ráid ) is an island in Northern Ireland . It is located off the coast of County Antrim between Ballycastle and Ballintoy . By a suspension bridge ( English rope bridge ) to the mainland affiliated island is uninhabited.
Surname
The name of the island means: "Rock in the way" and refers to the fact that this small rock island lies exactly in the way of the salmon to their spawning grounds. The salmon swim around the island and are so easy to catch with a net. The many sea birds on the island also find easy food in this way.
The bridge and tourism
It is a narrow suspension bridge for pedestrians that spans a strait of 20 meters at a height of 30 meters. The walk to the bridge takes 15 minutes and is a path that is sometimes quite steep. A bridge has been around for around 350 years. It was originally built by fishermen who had been fishing for salmon with a net from the island for 400 years. Since the swell around the island often prevented a boat crossing, the fishermen resorted to this solution. Originally the bridge was only stretched for the salmon season from June to August.
In the 1970s, a simple suspension bridge with a one-sided handrail and widely spaced wooden steps was in use. Although the bridge is often exposed to strong winds and fluctuates accordingly, no one has ever had an accident. As it used to be more common that tourists from the island no longer dared to cross the bridge and had to be picked up by boat, a more stable bridge with handrails on both sides and side nets was pulled. The bridge is primarily a tourist attraction and is open from March to November. Fishing now only plays a subordinate role. In 2008 a new bridge made of steel cable and Douglas fir was built. The bridge is owned by the National Trust and there is a fee to use the bridge.
In 2007, 227,000 tourists visited Carrick-a-Rede. Since then, an average of 250,000 tourists have visited this attraction each year. From the island you have an excellent view of the rocky coast of Antrim and Rathlin Island . If the visibility is good, Scotland can also be seen.
The fishing
On the island there is a small hut and a winch for the salmon nets. The catches are falling sharply. In 1960, 300 fish were caught a day, in 2002 it was 300 for the entire season. Salmon fishing was originally the main source of income during the season. This was replaced by the income from the tourists.
The fauna
The island and the steep coast opposite offer a habitat for colonies of various seabirds that nest on and on the rocks. There are puffins , eiders , petrels , kittywakes, guillemots and razorbills . The marked paths must therefore not be left and dogs are not permitted.
Sheep Island and Rathlin Island are nearby .
literature
- Ireland travel guide . Michael Müller Verlag, Erlangen
Web links
- Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. In: discovernorthernireland.com. (English).
- Carrick-a-Rede coastal walk. In: nationaltrust.org.uk. (English).
- Rope bridge signals start of tourist season. In: Ballymoney and Moyle Times. March 3, 2008(English).
- Carrick-a-Rede. In: nationaltrust.org.uk. (English).
Individual evidence
- ^ Re-constructing 'a little piece of local history'. In: nationaltrust.org.uk. Retrieved on August 6, 2019 (English, pictures of the bridge construction).
- ↑ a b Book timed tickets online : adults: £ 9.00, children: £ 4.50, families: £ 22.50
- ↑ Things to see and do at Carrick-a-Rede. In: nationaltrust.org.uk. Accessed August 6, 2019 .