Northern Ireland’s best views – and where to stop for lunch

Craggy volcanic cliffs ridged in green, plunging into Atlantic Ocean views. Haunting castle ruins teetering on windswept hilltops. Rope bridges strung over thrashing waves. Endless green countryside flecked with cloudlike sheep. And modern architecture rising above a historic cityscape.

If you’re searching for a UK staycation packed with cinematic landscapes and natural wonders, Northern Ireland delivers. Just a 90-minute flight from London, it’s home to Unesco World Heritage Sites, world-famous Game of Thrones filming locations, and postcard-perfect views around every corner.

As soon as you touch down in the buzzy city of Belfast, you can start revelling in widescreen drama – and there’s no better way than via a road trip. What’s more, when you book a fly-drive break with British Airways Holidays, all mandatory charges are included, and you’ll benefit from roadside assistance and 24-hour customer support.

Within minutes of picking up your Avis car hire, you’ll be immersed in emerald wilds, heading north on scenic routes towards the Antrim Coast & Glens AONB, where some of Northern Ireland’s most jaw-dropping scenery is found. A vast plateau carved by rivers and glens stretches out to a coast of rugged headlands, wild moorland and verdant farmland, so keep your camera ready.

Enchanting and eerie in equal measure, the Dark Hedges, an avenue of soaring 18th-century beech trees planted as a decorative entrance to a country estate, is an essential stop. Peer straight down the avenue for the full cave-like effect – and if it looks familiar, it’s because it featured in Game of Thrones.

Up on the north coast across from Rathlin Island, your next viewpoint is the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, above, a hair-raising byway strung between two green-carpeted rock faces, originally built by fishermen in 1755. Along with the Gobbins Cliff Path, a marvel of Edwardian engineering further east along the coast, it’s set high above wave-thrashed rocks, and isn’t for the faint-hearted. If you’re lucky, you might spot dolphins or porpoises in their natural habitat as you cross.

Along your road trip there are countless other scenes to discover, from the ruins of Dunluce Castle, main image, perched majestically on the coast at Bushmills, to ancient stone forts like Torr Head, and whitewashed Ballintoy Church (the area is another Game of Thrones star).

But wherever else you stop, there’s one extraordinary view that can’t be missed: the Giant’s Causeway, a Unesco World Heritage Site. It’s an otherworldly coastline fringed by 60-million-year-old basalt columns. While science says otherwise (a volcanic eruption), standing among this singular landscape, birds swooping overhead, waves lapping the geometric stone, it’s easy to believe in magic.

All that sightseeing works up an appetite. So it’s just as well scenic road trip days in Northern Ireland are punctuated with plenty of chances to eat, whether you fancy a warm baked scone with clotted cream and jam, freshly landed seafood from cool Atlantic waters, or hearty lamb stew to warm your bones after a windswept coastal walk.

After feasting your eyes on the Giant’s Causeway, continue along the Causeway Coast, where sheer cliffs, rolling headlands and open sea views make the drive itself part of the experience. With your designated driver, pay a visit to Bushmills – the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world – which runs regular tours, pictured above.

If you’re after fine dining, Noble, outside Belfast in Holywood, has a Michelin Bib Gourmand for tasty dishes like venison loin with beetroot. This memorable meal also gives you a reason to linger in Belfast’s bustling city centre before flying home.

Discover a new variety of views, from inside historic pubs to outside Titanic Belfast museum, an imposing modern structure soaring above the River Lagan like the bow of a ship.

And if time allows, indulge in a regal afternoon tea at the Grand Central Hotel, where sweeping city views from the Observatory Lounge make delicate pastries and scones taste even more special. Being Northern Ireland, you’ll find the welcome as warm as the cuppas.