More than forty thousand many-sided columns of basalt of varying heights but each slotted neatly together, beehive fashion, stretching along our shore and forming a pavement out to sea . . . small wonder that this astonishing natural phenomenon has been described as the 'eighth wonder of the world'.
It's an amazing sight and one which has inspired visitors for hundreds of years, but its origins go back much further. Created over 60 million years ago after intense volcanic activity, the Giant's Causeway was formed as a result of fast-cooling lava. Today it is a World Heritage Site, managed by The National Trust.
The typically five sided column formation (there are also six, seven and eight sided columns to be found here) is one which you'll spot often as you travel around Northern Ireland, for it is so distinctive that it has become a symbol for the wider region. Indeed, the Causeway is also an iconic 'snapshot of Ireland'.
From the steep hill which leads to the Causeway there are fabulous views of the North Antrim coastline and Scotland, but the eye is immediately drawn to the marvel of the causeway itself . . . fantastic whatever the weather. Dramatic and inaccessible as many of the formations may be, particularly as you explore further along the coastline, the majority are easily accessed by all.
It's a massive favourite with children who can scramble around to their heart's content re-enacting the myth of Finn McCool, the giant who is said to have thrown those columns into the sea in the first place . . . . well this is Ireland and you didn't think we'd be satisfied with a purely scientific explantion, did you?
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