The combination of planks and ropes, linking a tiny island to the towering cliffs near Ballintoy, looks sturdy enough from a distance.
Yet close up, the flimsy planks bounce under each step and it’s impossible to ignore the roaring North Atlantic waves crashing on the rocks 100 feet below.
The National Trust, which runs Carrick-a-Rede, has no record of any tourist ever falling off the bridge, but every year some visitors balk at the idea of walking 65ft back across the chasm and have to be taken back to safety by boat.
Those brave enough to make the crossing are rewarded with superb views. From the peak of the small island you can see the extent of the spectacular Antrim coastline, Rathlin Island and, on clear days, the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland.
Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge was built by salmon fishermen around 350 years ago, but the salmon stopped coming some decades past, and now the rope bridge is a major stop on the Antrim tourist trail. The fishermen used to erect the bridge only during the summer months, but it’s now open year round.
For them, the modern bridge would be unrecognisable. In the 1970s, the bridge had no safety netting, with large gaps between the wooden planks and just a single rope handrail.
The bridge is at the end of a mile-long path along the cliff tops. Tickets are required and the National Trust office is located at the car park – long before visitors see just how much courage they need.
