WHAT’S THE SCORE?
If you’re stuck for ideas for next Father’s Day, you could do a lot worse than pack your dear old pa off to Portrush – it’s like it was purpose-built for dads. Is he into golf? Whiskey? History? Well, tick, tick, and tick. Perched right by the Atlantic, in County Antrim, Portrush is within putting distance of both a top-class golf course (the Royal Portrush Golf Club) and a whiskey distillery (Bushmills) as well as a handful of ancient sites which line the strikingly beautiful coastline, including the epic Giant’s Causeway and the dramatic ruins of the 16th-century Dunluce Castle.
But you don’t actually have to be a dad – there’s plenty in the area for everyone, particularly for those who love eating (with all that coastline, the seafood is practically throwing itself out of the sea onto your plate). Portrush itself is a classic, slightly faded British seaside resort set on a headland, combining kiss-me-quick arcades and retro ice cream parlours (try Morelli’s, which has been here since 1911) with shabby-chic Victorian terraced houses and beaches. The main one, East Strand, is a golden sweep of sand that extends along 2.5km, with many opportunities for watersports, while the smaller West Strand is rockier, but a little more picturesque. Come and dive on in.
WHERE TO STAY
Dunluce Lodge
Dunluce Lodge
It was a happy coincidence that I stayed at this elegant, all-suite hotel, located just a three-minute drive from the Royal Portrush Golf Club, just a few months before the Open started on July 13. The golf course backs onto the hotel’s spacious, pine-tree-lined terrace – you can observe players teeing off while you sip on a signature cocktail (we recommend the Harry Colt, a just-so Whiskey Sour, named after Royal Portrush’s designer). A seven-minute walk away is White Rocks beach, peppered, as the name suggests, with vast, chalky boulders and backed by limestone cliffs. Dunluce Lodge is constructed in a similar style to the family townhouse which was formerly on the same site, with creamy stone exteriors and a porticoed entrance.
The 35 suites are roomy and comfortable, with expansive bathrooms – some featuring standalone tubs – whose slate flooring comes with welcome underfloor heating; stylish tweed-upholstered chairs and headboards; and a complimentary minibar with actual, fresh milk for your tea or coffee. There’s also a small on-site spa and gym, which offers wellness workshops and yoga classes. A real highlight, however, is the restaurant, Bailiú (which means ‘gathering’ in Gaelic); presided over by local lad Stephen Holland, it firmly insists on using only the freshest Irish produce, the menu lively with Carlingford oysters, Lough Neagh eel tart, North Coast crab and Lisdergan flax-fed beef.
Rooms from £299 per night on a B&B basis; dunlucelodge.com
Portrush Adelphi
Portrush Adelphi
Sitting smack bang in the centre of town, the pup-friendly Adelphi was recently renovated and revamped by the Marine & Lawn group, who specialise in chic properties close to iconic coastal golf resorts. Here, they’ve taken the theme of Victorian-Gothic maximalism and really run with it. Nods to the local area include lampstands in the form of golf bags and kitsch, vintage golf paintings, while lampshades are oversized, fringed, or patterned with William Morris-style birds and flowers. Pots of greenery are draped over most available surfaces, while wallpaper, woollen carpets and upholstery are done in bold checks, and you’ll find the occasional piece of taxidermy lurking on a mantelpiece.
In the Red Sail bar, jade subway tiles contrast with oxblood leather banquette seating and thick, rose-coloured, tasselled velvet curtains line the windows. The 34 rooms are spread over four mazelike floors and are all decorated similarly, with busy, blue and white leaf-print wallpaper, chunky porcelain sinks, old-fashioned rotary dial telephones and pearlescent desk lamps in the shape of a nautilus shell. Come the evening, order a pint of something foamy or a crisp cocktail at the bar, then head through to the restaurant, which skews Mediterranean, with simple but well-executed dishes along the lines of sea bass crudo with orange and fennel, Northern Irish mussels cooked with ‘nduja, cider and mascarpone, or chicken Milanese.
Rooms from £245 per night on a B&B basis; marineandlawn.com
WHAT TO DO
Fairway to heaven
Portrush Golf Club
Whether you’re an amateur player or more advanced, the thrill of setting foot onto the same greens as players such as Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Shane Lowry is just as great. Founded in 1888, the legendary Royal Portrush Golf Club has two Championship Courses: the renowned Dunluce course and the smaller, but equally enjoyable, Valley course. Both command impressive views across the North Atlantic to Scotland and Donegal. Visitors can book lessons with a pro, either one-on-one or as part of a group. If you’re lucky, you’ll bump into a famous member, like actor Jamie Dornan.
Arts and crafts
Take the opportunity to (re)stimulate your creative side during a class with one of the many traditional crafters and artisans who live and work in the area. At the Boat House gallery and studio, a collective of makers from ceramicists to silversmiths – display their work and some offer workshops, including glass artist Eleanor-Jane McCartney. Under her guidance, you’ll learn to shape and trim a piece of glass into something inspiring (as well as getting to use a soldering iron, which is always fun). For something even more historic, you can take a willow weaving class with heritage crafter Louise McLean, who has created authentic willow items for TV shows and films including Vikings and Game of Thrones.
Walk in the footsteps of giants
Giant's Causeway
Legend has it – and boy, do the Irish love their legends – that the giant Finn McCool built a causeway across the Irish Sea to fight a rival Scottish giant called Benandonner. After a huge fight, Benandonner ripped up the causeway so McCool couldn’t chase him again, and what we see today is all that was left of it. Geologists, however, would – somewhat boringly – tell you that this distinctively shaped set of basalt stones is a result of volcanic eruptions and erosion, formed over 60 million years. Whatever the truth, there’s no denying this cluster of around 40,000 jet-black hexagonal interlinking columns makes for a striking addition to the landscape. You can explore the site with one of the visitor centre’s affable and well-informed guides, who really bring the area’s stories to life, or wander at will, spotting formations such as McCool’s boot, the Organ, the Wishing Chair, and the Harp.
Whiskey a Go-Go
Bushmills Inn
A ten-minute drive from the Giant’s Causeway is the Old Bushmills Distillery, which was first granted a licence to distil whiskey back in 1608. It uses fresh water from the River Bush, which flows over beds of basalt rock. A tour will educate you in the finer details of mashing, fermentation, distillation and maturation, but let’s face it, you’re really there for the tasting at the end. You’ll get to sample at least three of Bushmills’ world-renowned malts, and revel in their rich, complex flavours.
River wide
Spirit of the Bann
Fancy a boat trip along some of the region’s most alluring coastline while scoffing some of its most delicious produce? Well, hop aboard the MV Kingfisher, a former wooden harbour launch built in the same shipyard as the Titanic (relax, icebergs are rare out here), and let friendly skipper Ian McKnight sail you up the River Bann, out towards the Atlantic. En route, you’ll spot a throng of wildlife from cormorants to otters and even dolphins, if you’re lucky. Sit back and enjoy a gin tasting from small craft distillers like Dunluce Distillery, with tipples infused with local botanicals like sugar kelp. To temper the impacts of hard liquor, line your stomach with devourable nibbles from nearby, award-winning cheesemakers, butchers and fishmongers.
WHERE TO EAT
LIR
Lir
Set by the marina in nearby Coleraine, just 15 minutes from Portrush, is a low-slung modernist structure which used to be a yacht club but is now home to seafood restaurant, LIR. The passion project of modishly tattooed chef Stevie McCarry, who has featured on Great British Menu, and his wife Rebekah, it first opened in early 2020, becoming a fishmonger’s during the pandemic. Today, 90% of the menu features fish and seafood, particularly lesser-known types such as dogfish, ling or skate, with McCarry putting an inventive twist on many of the dishes. The menu – which also lists the day boats from which they get their supplies – changes regularly, but you might find anything from squid lasagne to hake Kyiv and monkfish cheeks with gnocchi.
Shanty
A local favourite, Shanty is housed in a former lifeboat shelter right on the tip of Portrush’s small peninsula. It serves a variety of crowd pleasers, including ribeye steaks, classic fish and chips with mushy peas and tartar sauce, seafood chowder, and battered scampi. If the grilled local lobster is on the specials list, order it immediately – it comes drowning in an ocean of garlic butter. Of the sides, the truffle and parmesan smashed potatoes are practically life-changing carbohydrates. All of this comes with swoonsome sea views, particularly when chowing down on the terrace.
MyPie
Sometimes all you want for lunch is a simple snack. If so, look no further than MyPie, on Portrush’s Main Street, which has quite the reputation around town for its perfect pies and addictive sausage rolls. With an in-house butchery and bakery, it sells an ever-changing array of freshly made, piping hot pastry products you’ll want to stash away in your suitcase to take home. Don’t miss out on the pork and mustard sausage rolls or the soothing chicken, leek and ham pie. If you’re lucky, the steak and Guinness will be among the pies of the day, and they offer several vegetarian options, too.
Return flights from London to Derry start from £69 one way per person, loganair.co.uk. For more travel inspiration visit ireland.com/northernireland
