Croaghan

About Croaghan

Rising above the North Antrim coast, this basalt-capped Hump provides a rugged, heathery ascent. Its position on the edge of the plateau offers a feeling of genuine wildness despite its modest height, with a summit that serves as a spectacular balcony over the North Channel and the nearby cliffs of Fair Head.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Irish word Cruachán, meaning 'small rick' or 'stack,' referring to its rounded, conical shape which stands out against the flatter sections of the Antrim plateau.
• •From the summit, you can look directly down onto the checkerboard fields of the Ballycastle area and across the water to the white cliffs of Rathlin Island and the distant Mull of Kintyre.
• •The hill is composed of Paleogene basalt, a remnant of the same volcanic activity that created the Giant's Causeway and the Great Antrim Plateau roughly 60 million years ago.
• •As a Hump (a hill with at least 100 metres of prominence), it stands sufficiently proud of the surrounding moorland to offer unobstructed 360-degree views, including the heavy-shouldered profile of Knocklayd to the west.
• •It is the kind of hill that teaches you the true definition of 'Antrim gold'—which is actually just the specific, water-logged shade of yellow the bog grass turns after three weeks of relentless rain.