Rathlin Island (Reachlainn)

Northern Ireland's only inhabited offshore island, an L-shaped seabird haven off the Antrim coast.

Rathlin lies about 10 km off Ballycastle and hosts Northern Ireland's largest seabird colony. Puffins, razorbills, guillemots and kittiwakes crowd its cliffs, best seen from the RSPB West Light Seabird Centre. Legend says it was in a cave here that Robert the Bruce watched a spider and learned to try, try again.

At a glance

• NI's only inhabited offshore island
• Largest seabird colony in Northern Ireland
• Home to the Robert the Bruce 'spider' legend

In County Antrim

Rathlin Island is in County Antrim, Aontroim in Irish, which means “lone ridge”.

More in Antrim

• The Giant's Causeway (Clochán an Aifir): Around 40,000 interlocking basalt columns on the Antrim coast, a UNESCO site wrapped in the legend of Finn McCool.
• The Glens of Antrim (Glinntí Aontroma): Nine green valleys running from the Antrim plateau down to the sea.
• Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (Carraig a' Ráid): A famous rope bridge swaying 30 m above the sea to a tiny fishing island.

Other places of this kind

• Aran Islands (Oileáin Árann): A group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay.
• Skellig Michael (Sceilg Mhichíl): A jagged island monastery off the Kerry coast, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a modern film location.
• Achill Island (Acaill): Ireland's largest island, joined to Mayo by a bridge, with cliffs and blue-flag beaches.
• The Saltee Islands (Na Sailtí): Two small islands off the Wexford coast, one of Ireland's great bird sanctuaries.
• Devenish Island (Daimhinis): A serene monastic island on Lower Lough Erne, crowned by a perfect round tower.
• Boa Island (Inis Badhbha): A Lough Erne island famed for its enigmatic two-faced stone idol.

The Irish name

The Irish form of Rathlin Island is Reachlainn. You can hear it spoken, and take apart names like it, in the Placename Explorer. The authoritative record for any Irish place-name is logainm.ie.