Extra tours as demand for Gobbins cliff path soars

The Islandmagee venue – which reopened to the public this summer for the first time in over half a century – is proving to be a big hit with tourists, having just welcomed its milestone 5,000th visitor.

And with demand for the £7.5m attraction showing no signs of waning, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has taken the decision to increase tours from every hour to every half-hour.

Alister Bell, operations manager at the Gobbins, said: “The path is continuing to experience high demand from across the globe. We chose to move to tours every half-hour to ensure we can fulfil demand and to allow those who book on the later tours to experience the breathtaking views at The Gobbins before the sun sets.

“While tours are now running every half-hour from 10am to 1pm, to accommodate the darker nights, visitors still need to book in advance to secure a place and avoid disappointment on arrival.

“The lucky 5,000th visitor was Steven Dickson from Lisburn, who was out for a family adventure with his young son, Jack and his wife Kit, an Islandmagee native.”

Dave Hope from Whitehead, who was on the very first public tour of the Gobbins, added: “I was really looking forward to seeing the new path opened and delighted that it has been restored. I am from the local area, so I have known about The Gobbins for a very long time and its connection to the railways.

“Until you undertake the walk, you can’t appreciate the phenomenal feat of engineering it has been and was back in 1902. I highly recommend it to anyone. It was an amazing experience, one I have waited 50 years to do and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I will be back.”

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Billy Ashe said he was “delighted” that coastal walk is proving it has real tourism pulling power.

He added: “Demand has been phenomenal, so this change in tour timetabling is a very welcome development.

“I very much welcome this decision as it will allow even more people to visit The Gobbins Path than before.”

Comprising a series of suspension tubular bridges and tunnels carved through the rock face, the Gobbins has been billed as a world-class tourist attraction.

Tickets are priced at £8.50 per person and £23 for a family ticket. Call 028 9337 2318 to book and for more information on the Gobbins visit the website: www.thegobbinscliffpath.com