Excitement is building for the re-opening of one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic tourist destinations, the Rathlin West Light Seabird Centre!
Rathlin Island is Northern Ireland’s only inhabited island and is also home to one of the UK’s largest seabird colonies.
The RSPB NI Seabird Centre has undergone major refurbishment and will re-open on Thursday, 24 March - just in time for the Easter holidays. The work has been made possible by a significant investment from the Commissioners for Irish Lights of over £600,000 thanks to funding from the European Union’s INTERREG IVA cross-border Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.
The refurbishment has seen a complete upgrade of the visitor centre overlooking the huge seabird colony.
In summer, the colony is a real assault on the senses – the sight, sound (and smell!) of tens of thousands of birds, including puffins, razorbills, guillemots and kittiwakes, jostling for space is like nothing else.
For the first time, it will also be possible to access the ‘upside down’ lighthouse. Situated at the heart of the colony, it’s a spectacular feat of engineering, clinging to the cliff face with the lantern gleaming red at its foot.
Along with 11 other lighthouses around the Irish coast, Rathlin West Light is now one of the Great Lighthouses of Ireland, all of which will offer unforgettable experiences and create a deep appreciation of the role of lighthouses and seafaring story of the island of Ireland.
The Rathlin West Light Seabird Centre will be open from 10am until 5pm every day until the end of September. Admission is free for RSPB members, £5 for adults and £2.50 for children and other concessions.
Please note that while the main visitor centre is accessible, there is an 89 step descent to the viewing platform and a similar number of steps down through the lighthouse.
For more information about the Seabird Centre visit www.rspb.org.uk/rathlinisland or head to www.greatlighthouses.com to find out more about the Great Lighthouses of Ireland trail.