Dunluce Castle

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Photo Kenneth Allen

In fact, the place looks so much like a film set that it became one, in 2003's "The Medallion" with Jackie Chan. The band Led Zeppelin also obviously appreciated the castle, as they put its picture inside the artwork for their multi-million selling album, Houses of the Holy.

The ruins of Dunluce Castle
Photo bea y fredi

But what about Dunluce's real stories? Its early owners were the MacQuillan clan, a band of fierce warriors. They and their successors fought countless battles, but throughout its entire history the castle has only fallen a handful of times. Its location and fortifications made it nearly impregnable, doing justice to its name. "Dunluce" means "strong fort" in the Irish language.

Photo bea y fredi

The most notable conquering was by a Scottish chief called Sorley Boy. Recognising that brute force wasn't really an option, he resorted to trickery. After sneaking an accomplice inside, armed soldiers were secretly pulled in a basket up the sheer cliff face. The new ruler, who wasn't a poor man, made many improvements to his new stronghold. Most of the remaining walls and towers were Sorley Boy's work. The building materials came from the wreckage of the Girona, a damaged ship from the Spanish Armada.

Photo Shadowgate

In the 17th century Dunluce did suffer physical damage, but it wasn't caused by attacking enemies. Instead, it was a simple mix of bad architecture and bad luck. The cliff eroded so far that allegedly the entire kitchen fell into the sea, along with all the chefs and servants. Just a single boy was left behind. He was on his way to work when there was an almighty crash, and all of a sudden he was staring at the empty air where the kitchen used to be.

The cliffs around Dunluce Castle
Photo wfbakker2

Without doubt, one of the biggest surprises of Dunluce Castle is the truly spectacular sea cave that lies beneath the fortress. Known as Mermaid’s Cave, it’s almost entirely hidden from the landside apart from a small entrance hole. Once you enter this aperture, its secrets are revealed, and you find yourself in a large magical natural hallway leading all the way to the crashing sea. As the waves echo all around you, it’s easy to imagine this place being used as a vital escape route during a siege, or by smugglers.

Mermaids Cave
Photo leateds

Dunluce's final conqueror was time. It was abandoned after the kitchen incident, as the residents were too scared to live in the building. That was in 1642, and it was three long centuries until preservation work was finally begun. After such a long time the castle is now mostly in ruins. Even so, the remaining walls have an atmosphere that few places can emulate. The site is open to the public all year round.

Dunluce Castle is open daily, 10am to 6pm (5pm in winter). Entry costs around £2 for adults, £1 children. 87 Dunluce Road, Bushmills, County Antrim, BT57 8UY. Tel: 028 207 31938

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