Along the windiest coastline of Northern Ireland, in County Antrim lies a truly amazing spectacle. A result of volcanic activity some 50 million years ago; this certified World Heritage Site is one of the most unique places on earth, as it presents first-hand evidence of the way our modern landscape was formed. During this violent volcanic period, molten basalt intruded through the chalk beds along the coastline. As this began to slowly cool, the contraction of the basalt fractured horizontally before cracks propagated downwards, leaving amazing hexagonal pillars that resemble an almost man-made construction. After centuries of myths and legend surrounding the creation of the causeway, scientists eventually were able to accurately study it’s origin which lead to an invaluable breadth of knowledge that began to spread worldwide where similar sites across different continents were discovered and studied in the name of science. The coastline however is far from dormant, with the relentless force of the North Atlantic Ocean carving it’s way through the layers of rock, always changing the landscape of The Giants Causeway to something new.
