Northern Ireland

Rathlin Island

Northern Ireland's only permanently inhabited offshore island, famed for its seabird colonies and the Robert the Bruce cave.

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Rathlin Island

Part of the Northern Ireland islands map.

Names

Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Reachlainn; Irish: Reachlainn; Welsh: Ynys Rathlin; Manx: Reachlainn; French: île de Rathlin

Geography

L-shaped island of chalk and basalt, with three lighthouses and the RSPB West Light Seabird Centre.

Geology

Bedrock: Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene (Mafic Lava And Mafic Tuff), Palaeogene–Palaeogene. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026, licensed under the BGS Open Data Licence (OGL v3.0). Source: BGS DigMapGB-625 Bedrock & Superficial WMS.

History

Site of an early Christian monastery and the 1575 Rathlin Island massacre. Robert the Bruce reputedly took refuge in a cave here in 1306.

How to reach it

Rathlin Ferries operates a passenger and small-vehicle service from Ballycastle (around 25 minutes by fast ferry).

Accommodation

A handful of guest houses, self-catering cottages and a campsite. Limited capacity — book early.

Nearby and related islands

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-08-13.