The north Antrim coast is built from basalt and myth in roughly equal measure, and walking it at your own pace is the only way to do it justice.

At 53 kilometres / 33 miles the Causeway Coast path is short by long-distance standards, but what it lacks in length it more than compensates for in drama. The Giant's Causeway, 40,000 interlocking hexagonal columns formed by ancient volcanic activity or by Finn McCool depending on who you ask, sets the tone for a trail that rarely lets up.

Clifftop paths pass the ruins of Dunluce Castle perched above the surf, cross the swaying Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, and look out on clear days to the Scottish coast on the horizon. A walk that leaves an impression well out of proportion to its length.