Kinbane Castle

West of Ballycastle, Kinbane Castle sits on a narrow limestone headland jutting into the sea — the name comes from the Irish An Ceann Bán, “the white head,” for the pale cliffs it stands on. It’s smaller and far less visited than Dunluce Castle, which makes it one of the quieter genuinely dramatic ruins on this coast.

History

Kinbane was built in 1547 by Colla MacDonnell, a chieftain of the Scottish MacDonnell clan — the same family that took Dunluce Castle from the MacQuillans around the same period (see our Dunluce page). English forces under Sir James Croft attacked and badly damaged the castle in 1551. Colla rebuilt it, but a second assault in 1555 left him mortally wounded.

Colla’s brother, Sorley Boy MacDonnell — a name that comes up repeatedly on this stretch of coast, from Dunluce to the Ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle — took control of Kinbane afterward, and later gifted it to the MacAlister clan for their loyalty. The MacAlisters held the castle through the 18th century, after which it was abandoned and left to the weather.

Visiting

Kinbane is now a State Care Historic Monument, looked after by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and open to the public, free of charge. Getting to it means a proper walk down a steep path to the headland — worth knowing before you go, since it’s a genuine climb back up.

Getting there: on the coast road just west of Ballycastle, easily combined with a trip out to Ballintoy Harbour or Carrick-a-Rede along the same stretch.