Zoë Bowyer

I have, eventually, made a return trip to Rathlin Island. It is ten years since I last visited – a trip I remember well as it was an art school trip and my main interest was in drinking alcohol rather than drawing landscapes. But then, I’ve never been overly impressed with landscapes anyway. On that particular occasion the journey back to the mainland on the ferry was hideous due to the couple of pints I had consumed in the pub on the island.

This time I stayed clear of the booze.

D had arranged a little trip for his mum and me as a joint birthday treat. We caught our boat at Ballycastle and then went for a trip to Carrick-a-Rede. Then we travelled out to the West Coast of Rathlin – sadly, most of the birds have left, a few months earlier the place would have been teeming with puffins and guillemots. D took the opportunity to indulge his lighthouse/redhat fetish.

Then we were dropped off on Rathlin for a couple of hours. We went to the East Lighthouse and then came back to the harbour – where the Rathlin Island Fun Run was about to start. D said it was all a bit strange to him – normally when he lands on Rathlin (which he does quite a bit on days out diving) there are less than 10 people around. Yesterday, the place was packed.