After a breakfast of an enormous pancake, bacon and maple syrup followed by considerable googling of campsites options and ferry sailings for the next few days, we land on a replan.

Originally we were going to take the ferry tomorrow from Ballycastle to Rathlin Island hopefully to see puffins for the first time. However all booked until Wednesday. So a new plan required. Another challenge is finding campsites near to the Giants Causeway and Carrick-a-Brae rope bridge. After much back and forth I’ve booked us in a campsite at Cushendum for tonight, Sunday evening. We are going to fill our tanks with water, empty everything else and charge our electrics ahead of two or three nights of free camping. I’ve also booked the ferry for Wednesday and we intend to visit the Giants Causeway on Monday and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge on Tuesday, fingers crossed.

Cushendun is only fifteen minutes up the road so we arrive around 1 pm. A very light lunch and then we walk through a forest path and along the beach to the marina. It’s a  pretty village where the River Dun runs into the sea but both hotels are closed and there’s only one pub.

We wander past the marina and along the shingle beach to the very dark and dank caves used in Game of thrones.

Back into the village we check out the square now owned by the NT, as is most of the village, and eventually visit a church where we enjoy a free art exhibition hosted by an art collector called James Morrow.  I particularly enjoyed the work of Kenneth Webb who hosted painting courses in Cushendun in the late fifties and early sixties.

Time for a drink in the only pub, Mary McBride’s . There’s live music and the place is packed. We decide to eat. Sadly roast dinners are finished but we enjoy a tasty meal.

Back to the van in the rain where I discover I can’t find my purse!! After checking everywhere I ring the pub and someone has handed it in. So thankful. T falls on his sword and goes and picks it up for me.

A bit of Bridgerton followed by football to end our day.

16:06:25