Antrim Coast and Glens AONB

Date of designation: 1988 Area: 70600 ha

The coastline of County Antrim from Ballycastle to Larne and the world famous Glens of Antrim contain some of the most beautiful and varied scenery in Northern Ireland. The area is dominated by a high undulating plateau cut by deep glens which open north and eastwards to the sea. It is an area of contrasts: gentle bays are separated by blunt headlands; exposed moorland gives way to sheltered valleys; wide open expanses to enclosed farmland.

Slemish Mountain rises abruptly, its wildness in sharp contrast to the neat fields of the Braid Valley below. Rathlin Island, lying offshore to the north, is rich in historical, geological and botanical interest. Further information on the AONB can be obtained from the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust on www.ccght.org

Antrim Coast and Glens AONB Management Plan

The Antrim Coast & Glens AONB Management Group along with CCGHT have produced a Management Plan for the AONB.  This plan can be downloaded from the CCGHT (pdf 2.8MB) web page.  A five year Action Plan (pdf 1.76MB) can also be downloaded.

The Management Plan will help everybody with a stake in the landscape respond in ways that enhance the landscape and ensure the AONB remains an area everybody can enjoy, identify with and that continues to contribute crucially to the economy of the area.

Hard copies of the Management Plan are available from the Trust office on (028)2075 2100. A summary document Your Place Your Plan (pdf 3.52MB) will also be distributed widely throughout the entire area and can be downloaded .