Minister opens new Viewpoint during visit to north Antrim coast
Date published:
Rural Affairs Minister Edwin Poots MLA has officially opened the newly redeveloped Magheracross Viewpoint site between Portrush and Bushmills and made a visit to Portaneevy Viewpoint on the International Appalachian Trail near Ballintoy on the north Antrim coast.
The Magheracross project was part-funded (£500,000) through his Department’s Rural Development Programme Rural Tourism Scheme, whilst Portaneevy is funded (£405,000) through DAERA’s Rural Development Programme Leader Co-operation scheme.
Magheracross, which is situated on the Causeway Coast Way, is a walking trail stretching from Portstewart to Ballycastle and passes through some of Northern Ireland’s biggest tourist attractions, including the Giants Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. Redevelopment of the site included the construction of two state-of-the-art, fully accessible viewing platforms extending out to the edge of the cliffs, as well as new pathways, parking and soft landscaping.
The Minister also visited Portaneevy, near the village of Ballintoy, where he saw first-hand how the viewpoint there has also been developed to make the most of the coastal views.
Minister Poots said, “I’m delighted to visit this beautiful area of Northern Ireland and open the newly developed Magheracross site. I hope this will serve as another “must see” for tourists along our stunning North Coast. The link between this and the development at Portaneevy is an important one for tourists who come here to enjoy our breath taking coastal outlooks.”
The Minister continued, “Tourism is vitally important to our rural economy, and the competitive nature of the tourism marketplace, especially during recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, cannot be underestimated. The creation and development of visitor experiences that showcase our natural landscape and are compelling and accessible to all can offer long term sustainability and growth to tourism in Northern Ireland.”
Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Richard Holmes said, “I am delighted to have this opportunity to welcome Minister Poots to this beautiful part of the Borough for the official launch of our redeveloped viewing points. Collectively, the projects represent a significant addition to the tourism infrastructure along the renowned Causeway Coastal Route.
“The views from both locations are simply breath-taking and the new world-class infrastructure offers visitors a closer appreciation of nature’s wonders along our coastline. We want to encourage sustainable tourism growth within our local economy and through this collaboration we have ensured a high level of quality in the provision of our public spaces.”
Notes to editors:
- The Rural Development Programme 2014-20 Rural Tourism Scheme provides funding to invest in natural and built heritage projects that can act as a key driver for encouraging rural tourism and particularly out of state visitors, whilst preserving the built and natural assets of the rural community and also stimulating economic activity.
- Leader is an EU Programme worth £70m over the period of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020 with 27% of the funding coming from the EU.
- The Causeway Coast Way is a low lying walking trail stretching from Portstewart to Ballycastle, and passes through some of Northern Irelands most recognisable tourist attractions. The trail takes approximately 2-3 days to complete.
- The International Appalachian Trail (IAT) began as a commitment between the U.S. state of Maine and Provincial Canada to work together as neighbours to sustain a shared environment and celebrate the grandeur of a common landscape. Since 2009, this mission has been embraced in Greenland and Iceland and across the arc of the North Atlantic to Europe and North Africa. The IAT now comprises 23 Chapters on three continents from Maine to Morocco. For more information go to https://iat-sia.org/
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