|
The castle is open all year round - opening hours vary according to
the time of year.
April to September 10.00am – 6.00pm (every day).
October to March 10.00am – 5.00pm (every day).
With last admission being strictly half an hour before closing time.
Contact:
Telephone 028 207 31938
Guided tours are also available if booked in advance.
When closed you can still walk down a long series of steps, past the
wishing well and the mermaid's cave, to the stone arch with views to the Skerries and Inishowen, Donegal. The ruins of St. Cuthbert's lies a
short walk away from the castle grounds - on the small road opposite
the Portrush entrance to the castle.
Walking
around inside Dunluce Castle is a fascinating experience - it is
only when you walk down from the gift shop and cross the
bridge into the castle courtyard that you
realize how large the castle layout actually is - something that is
not so apparent from outside views. Over the years many
changes and additions have occurred to the original structure - inside you will find Norman, Scottish, English and European
architectural influences.
The
castle was given to the Northern Ireland Government by the
Earl of Antrim in 1928 to be preserved as a National Monument, since that time the
Department of the Environment have taken great care of it. It is obviously
a constant process to maintain and preserve such a large
artefact of our past and the Department have done this exceptionally well
- many skilled workers have been employed in
replacing, renovating and preserving the structure over the past decades -
for our continual
enjoyment.
|
