The Iron Islands
Working from East to West, a good first stop along the winding road hugging the coastline is the hidden gem that is Ballintoy Harbour. Still a working harbour for local fishermen, Ballintoy doubled as Lordsport Harbour (The Iron Islands) and the homecoming of Theon Greyjoy after ten years in Winterfell. The beach at Ballintoy is where Theon was baptized into the faith of the ‘Drowned God’, cementing his return to the House of Greyjoy. For paddlers the turquoise enclosed waters of the harbour are an easy launch to explore the immediately adjacent rocky, island strewn shoreline. To the west a paddle of around a mile brings you to Larrybane bay. Larrybane, meaning ‘the ancient white site’, offers classic ‘Storm’s End’ vistas with its panoramic views of the limestone cliffs and ocean. It hosted several key scenes, including where Brienne beats Ser Loras in a tourney and is given a place in Renly’s Kingsguard as a reward. At Larrybane, Renly also swears to Lady Stark that he will avenge Ned’s death, but meets his end at the hands of Melisandre’s shadow baby. Most of the generic panning shots of the coast that feature throughout the series are filmed here and even for a non-fan provide a rich view with Scotland and the islands of Rathlin and Islay easily visible on a clear day. At the eastern edge of the bay lies Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. One of Northern Ireland’s most famous landmarks, the bridge is suspended across a 20 metre chasm between the mainland and the tiny Carrick Island, with a 23 metre drop to the water below.
