Carnlough translates in meaning to ‘Cairn of the Lake’ and lies in the outflow of Glencloy ('Glen of Hedges') one of the nine Glens of Antrim. The area has seen human settlement since the Neolithic period, the surrounding limestone cliffs are rich in fint deposits and made the location ideal for  habitation, close to the ocean and fresh water plus a ready source of material for making hunting tools.

The village is noted for its picturesque harbour adjacent to the main Causeway Coastal Route which was built  in 1853 by the Marchioness of Londonderry.  The first harbour  however  was built in the late 1700s by Phillip Gibbons who had married Ann Stewart (daughter of the Earl of Antrim’s Agent),  this was a stone pier two hundred feet long which could accommodate ships up to twenty tons and was used for the export of potatoes, grain and limestone and import of coal.

The harbour was built out of limestone blocks which were shaped and brought down from the quarry above the village. The primary function of the development was to take limestone from the quarries to the kilns and harbour for export, and later with rail expansions to the mill and whiting works. The harbour was able to accommodate ships up to 300 tons on the south pier.