About the Trail

The craggy cliffs and endless headlands of Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast and Glens, with their rolling green hinterlands and vast seascapes, form the perfect furnace to forge creativity and nurture ancient skills that have been passed down the generations. 
 
The Causeway Craft Trail is a fascinating route for visitors to explore, taking you off the beaten path and into some of the hidden gems of this beautiful region. Visit artists and craftspeople in the places that inspire them while observing them at work. 
 

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, you’ll discover a wealth of creativity that has been unleashed by the stunning landscapes all around.  

Visitors will unearth a hidden world away from the busier tourist routes. Visit traditional farm courtyards and modern studios built in renovated barns, spectacular Georgian country homes and workshops perched in the rolling 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. Watch the makers at work create clean, functional tableware to Celtic-inspired jewellery, or marvel at the process behind traditional basketry, incorporating the found objects of the coastline such as driftwood and pebbles.  
 
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 wares for the home. 

Continue towards the coast and 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 workshop above Castlerock where the Wilkinson family build wooden canoes and paddles at Valkyrie Craft boat makers, before taking a wander around the seaside town - filled with plenty of great places to eat and drink, and local shops to browse.
 
Close to Coleraine is the intriguing Blackheath Pottery, built in a converted outhouse next to Blackheath House, a Georgian country house built in 1791. Stop at the cafe, treat yourself to a homemade bake and a coffee, and 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. Continuing to the neighbouring resort of Portrush, you’ll find basket-weavers Louise and Trevor McLean showing off their mastery of traditional heritage crafts in the studio behind their home.  
 
This 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 machine and hand stitch. 
 
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 you’ll find Makers House - an innovative 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. Here, you can shop for a variety of handmade crafts, a large selection of which are made by the resident artists.
 
A short distance away in Lisnagunogue, you can visit Patricia Millar’s new ceramics studio, where you will learn how a childhood playing around Bronze Age sites, digging clay, and making bowls hardened in bonfires, have shaped her ceramic practice of today. 
 
Finally, wind your way down the precipitous roadway to the unique and sea-swept Ballintoy Harbour, stopping off at Benefield Spencer Glass studio; an artisanal glassblowing studio, set in the rural, coastal countryside of the Causeway Coast.
 
Take to the Causeway Craft Trail this Spring and creatively uncover some of the hidden gems of 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. 
 
Enjoy uncovering the beauty and creativity along the Causeway Craft Trail!