Immerse yourself in the fascinating Causeway Craft Trail tourism route that takes you off the beaten path and into some of the hidden gems of this beautiful region, visiting artists and craftspeople in the places that inspire them while observing them at work.
Follow the handy trail map and explore the craggy cliffs and endless headlands of Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast and Glens, with their rolling green hinterlands. They form the perfect furnace to forge creativity and nurture ancient skills that have been passed down the generations.
The Creative Causeway Coast & Glens
Along the trail, you’ll be spoilt for choice of places to stay. Whether you are looking for a boutique hotel or friendly guesthouse, stylish B&B or self-catering property with a difference, there is a wide range of welcoming accommodation to suit, whatever your taste and budget.
From the oldest licensed whiskey distillery to new artisan producers, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into on the Causeway Coast and Glens’ food and drink scene to compliment your experience on the Causeway Craft Trail. Savour the tastes served up by the talented chefs in our cafes and restaurants.
Discover the skilled artisans of the region as you explore the spectacular landscapes that nurtured their art, winding your way from the rural farmscapes of Aghadowey to the endless beaches of Downhill and across the world-famous stones of the Giant’s Causeway, discovering the wealth of creativity that has been unleashed by the stunning landscapes all around.
You will discover a hidden world away from the busier tourist routes, with traditional farm courtyards and modern studios built in renovated barns, spectacular Georgian country homes and workshops perched in the green hills of the Causeway Coast and Glens.
You will be spoilt for choice as you explore the works produced by some of the area’s most creative minds. From clean, functional tableware to Celtic-inspired jewellery and from traditional basketry, incorporating the found objects of the coastline such as driftwood and pebbles, to beautifully spun textiles using native breed fibres.
Exploring the Trail
Kick off your adventure with a visit to potter Adam Frew, who throws functional and one-off pots at his studio in a former barn in the rural landscape at Aghadowey, before heading downstream along the River Bann to the beautiful new riverside studio of potter Zara McLaughlin, whose practice centres on the potter’s wheel making bespoke functional ware for the home. Then continue towards the coast and the seascapes of Downhill where McCall Gilfillan creates a wealth of artworks in a variety of media, from ceramics and kiln fire glass to mosaic and oil paint at Elements Studio.
Drop in at the wood-making workshop above Castlerock where the Wilkinson family build wooden canoes and paddles at Valkyrie Craft Boatmakers. Close to Coleraine is the intriguing Blackheath Pottery, built in a converted outhouse next to Blackheath House, a Georgian country house built in 1791. Watch potter Babs Belshaw at work on the wheel in her studio, creating ceramic tableware in forest greens, powder pinks and duck-egg blue.
From there, it’s a short drive to the coastal resort of Portstewart and the studio of ceramicist Fiona Shannon who creates tableware inspired by the wild Atlantic coastline, before continuing to the neighbouring town of Portrush where basket-weavers Louise and Trevor McLean of Atlantic Craft NI show off their mastery of traditional heritage crafts in the studio behind their home.
The bustling seaside resort is also home to the gallery of Frankie Creith who creates mixed media works incorporating fibres, papers, paint, inks, wax, resin, and all manner of media through collage, fusing, layering, and embellishment using both free machine and hand-stitching.
From Portrush, head back inland to the sleepy village of Bushmills, home to the world-famous whiskey distillery and The Designerie Collective, an enterprise that supports more than 90 creative designers and makers in the Causeway Coast and Glens and offers unique and hand-crafted homeware and gifts. On the first floor of The Designerie is Makers House, a creative hub where like-minded designers collaborate to build a vibrant creative space.
Drop into the Boat House Gallery at Innisfree Farm, a stone’s throw from the renowned Giant’s Causeway and home to five creative makers who work in a variety of media.
A short distance away in rural Lisnagunogue, stop by Patricia Millar’s new ceramics studio, where you will learn how her childhood playing around Bronze Age sites, digging clay, and making bowls hardened in bonfires, have shaped her ceramic practice of today.
Wind your way down the precipitous roadway to the unique and sea swept Ballintoy Harbour, stopping off at Benefield Spencer Glass studio, a unique artisanal glassblowing studio in Northern Ireland.
Explore the Causeway Craft Trail this Spring and creatively uncover hidden gems in this beautiful region. It’s a great way to explore the stunning scenery through the eyes of the creative craftspeople and makers who draw their inspiration from this stunning landscape.
