Visiting Rathlin is an experience you will never forget, after a short ferry crossing on one of two scheduled services you arrive in Church Bay, the focal point for the island and where everything arrives and leaves from. The island is like a stepping stone between the mainland and Scotland, a fact which contributes to its rich history and heritage going back to when humans first made their way over a retreating ice sheet to settle here and the north coast. As you arrive, the hustle and bustle of mainland life dissipates and island life takes over, an ambience which makes it easy to lose track of time.

A flurry of activity meets the ferry, passengers climb aboard an old bus for the bird sanctuary, islanders collect deliveries and people, after which everything settles back to island pace and peacefulness. Unless you arrive with your bike or know someone with a car on the island the choice of transport is limited to a bus tour to the West Light bird sanctuary or hiring a bike locally. The plus side is that the island is excellent for walkers and all three lighthouses and points of the L shaped island have single lane roads to them. The views are spectacular from all parts of the island, as well as the exceptional bird colony at the West Light run by the RSPB, the island is rich in flora and fauna.