haunted

BALLYGALLY Castle is celebrating its 400th anniversary – and this charming castle hotel is full of surprises.

The 4-star hotel was originally built as a castle back in 1625 by Scottish laird James Shaw.

Now it’s the only 17th Century building still used as a residence in Northern Ireland today.

From Game of Thrones Afternoon Tea to braving a swim in the Irish Sea, I explored everything Ballygally Castle Hotel has to offer.

Where is Ballygally Castle Hotel?

Ballgally Castle Hotel is in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

The hotel is only a 40-minute drive from Belfast.

FIT FOR A KING

Famous UK castle is being turned into £10m ‘world-class tourist attraction’

FALL FOR IT

Why Sun readers love Wales – their favourite waterfalls & TV-famous castles

County Antrim is known for its stunning Causeway Coast and Glens, meaning that there is plenty to explore right on your doorstep.

Ballygally itself is a picturesque seaside town with a sweeping sandy beach and rugged coastline.

What is the hotel like?

Ballygally Castle hotel is half historic charm, half modern luxury.

The exterior has been refurbished, but still holds many of the castle‘s original features.

Inside, the decor feels luxurious yet warm and welcoming.

Comfortable sofas by a cozy fireplace invite you to sit down and warm up, whilst the bar and lounge area offers stunning sea views.

There are plenty of quirky castle features inside the hotel, such as the original front door from 1625 decorated with the Shaw family coat of arms.

You can even visit the hotel’s Ghost Room, said to be haunted by Lady Isabella Shaw.

She is said to wander the hotel corridors at night, and many of the hotel staff have reported creepy happenings.

Game of Thrones fans will be pleased to notice that the door to the Garden Restaurant is No. 9 to the Door of Thrones series.

The ornate door is carved from trees that fell from a storm in the Dark Hedges, the iconic forest that appears in the popular program.

The ‘Doors of Thrones’ appear across Northern Ireland, giving fans a trail to explore on their visit.

You can even grab a Door of Thrones passport from the hotel to collect stamps along your journey.

Outside, the hotel boasts beautifully-kept gardens and a tranquil trout stream, where you can admire the exterior of the castle.

What are the rooms like?

There are 54 rooms to choose from at Ballygally Castle Hotel.

History fans can choose to stay in the Tower Rooms, the oldest hotel bedrooms in Northern Ireland.

Whilst those wanting something a little more luxurious can opt for the Coastal Deluxe Rooms or Antrim Suite.

I stayed in a Coastal Deluxe Room, a spacious option with calming views of Ballygally Bay.

On a clear day, you can even see the coastline of Scotland on the horizon.

The room comes with a roomy bathtub, robes, slippers, ESPA toiletries and tea and coffee amenities.

Plus the king bed with its cloud mattress and large flatscreen TV opposite made it very easy to unwind.

Superior Rooms start at £150 per night on a B&B basis.

What is there to eat and drink there?

The Garden Restaurant offers views of the castle gardens, elegant chandeliers and even a knight in armour to transport you back in time.

Here you can enjoy A La Carte dining, with mains including a local catch of the day and a delicious seafood chowder.

I opted for the slow cooked Irish beef with traditional colcannon mash, a tender dish that melted in the mouth.

I finished my evening meal with the “Taste the Island Cheese Slate” – a selection of local cheeses which paired well with a glass of house red.

With delicious options in both the Garden Restaurant and the Lounge, there’s no need to stray from the hotel to find good food.

The buffet-style breakfast at Ballygally Castle doesn’t disappoint either.

There is plenty of choice, with a variety of locally-sourced ingredients.

I particularly enjoyed the local pork sausages, potato bread and porridge served with a dash of Irish whiskey.

And if you’re here as a Game of Thrones fan, you’ve got to try the themed Afternoon Tea experience.

At £36 per person, you can enjoy sandwiches with treats such as Hodor’s pulled beef brioche and Dothraki trifle with mini dragon’s egg.

What is there to do?

There is plenty to see and do around Ballygally Castle Hotel, most of which involves exploring the nearby stunning scenery.

The castle is the perfect base to explore the Causeway Coastal Route, 115 mile journey through Northern Ireland’s breathtaking coastline.

Drive 40 minutes North to reach a beautiful National Nature Reserve, Glenariff Forest Park.

Here you can tackle a number of forest trails, or simply sit at Glenariff Teahouse to soak in the spectacular views.

I recommend wandering the “waterfall walk”, a 3km circular trail leading you past a number of enchanting waterfalls.

There are also a number of Game of Thrones filming locations to visit, including Carnlough Harbour and Cushendun Caves.

And if the Giant’s Causeway is on your bucket list, you can reach the landmark in just over an hour’s drive.

Back at the hotel, sea-swimmers can enjoy a “Sea Dip and Hot Sip”.

Guests who book this package are welcomed from their sea swim with a dry robe, hot water bottle and flask of warming hot chocolate.

This package includes your overnight stay and breakfast in the morning, and starts at £155 per person.

Is the hotel family friendly?

Ballgally Castle Hotel is family friendly, offering dedicated Family rooms and a children’s menu in both restaurants.

Is there access for guests with disabilities?

Ballygally Castle Hotel is accessible throughout its grounds.

It also offers two fully accessible bedrooms with wet rooms, as well as rooms with walk-in shower facilities.

Be sure to mention any specific requests when booking.

The hidden gem village features a medieval castle with ghost tours and a rare herd of wild cattle

Nestled amidst the expansive fields of the Northumberland countryside lies a charming little village with a fascinating history and a storybook castle.

Chillingham has carved out a reputation for itself due to two unique features – its historic castle and its distinctive cattle. The village boasts what is believed to be the UK’s most haunted castle, Chillingham Castle, which traces its roots back to the 12th century as it was fully fortified in 1344.

The renowned estate has remained within the same family lineage since its inception and continues to be private property, attracting visitors keen to experience its alleged hauntings. For those daring enough to venture inside, the Torture Chamber and nocturnal Ghost Tours are bound to leave you with some hair-raising memories.

It’s thought to have had over 100 spirits spotted within its grounds, testament to its rich history.

Documented paranormal activity includes hearing strange voices, footsteps and even sightings of moving objects, so much so that keen ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts choose to spend the night or conduct their own ghost-hunting within the castle.

While it is free to explore the grounds, Chillingham Castle provides travellers with the opportunity to stay in an authentic mediaeval fortress. It offers a selection of courtyard apartments, a stay in the tower and even a night in the old coaching rooms.

Recent guests have raved about their visits on TripAdvisor.

One visitor wrote: “Our stay at Chillingham Castle was absolutely incredible from start to finish. The castle itself is breathtaking, steeped in history, and beautifully preserved, and the ghost tour was a genuine highlight-engaging, atmospheric, and wonderfully done.”

Another guest added: “We stayed at the castle for 2 nights in the dairy apartment, as we were doing a paranormal investigation on the Friday.

“The castle is magnificent. The staff are super friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. It was like stepping back in time. Although the spirits weren’t interacting as much as we’d like, the energy and atmosphere was certainly haunting.”

Alongside Chillingham Castle stands the equally renowned Chillingham Cattle, a wild herd that has roamed the village following centuries of strict inbreeding.

The herd originated when approximately 90 animals were enclosed during the Middle Ages and have continued breeding within these grounds ever since.

As of 2022, the herd is believed to comprise 138 animals, split evenly between males and females. What makes them extraordinary is their completely untouched nature – left to breed, live and die in their natural habitat without human intervention, rendering them exceptionally rare.

The animals are widely regarded as a ‘scientific marvel’, since inbreeding throughout history typically leads to extinction, yet they continue to thrive in the very same grounds of Chillingham Park.

What sets them apart is their behaviour, as it’s entirely natural, providing us with additional insight into the lives of animals that may have preceded them. We can also gain knowledge about the spontaneous behaviours of animals not influenced by humans.

Rangers were far from great, but they were dogged and they hung in there and when their chances came they buried them. Youssef Chermiti, of all people, was the chief tormentor. In nine pulsating minutes he doubled his total for the season and wrote his name into a new kind of Rangers pantheon – from zero to hero.

Nancy spoke later and in trying to talk his way through the latest submission from his team he only reaffirmed his sense of distance from footballing reality.

He mentioned that Celtic “deserved more” than a 3-1 loss, when they didn’t. Not taking their chances when they had them was on Celtic, not anybody else. Deserve had nothing to do with it. It was the Celtic board who created a situation where their manager was left with scant options upfront. From meagre rations, he plumped for Johnny Kenny. It didn’t work out.

The Frenchman made some comments about the loss not being about players and tactics. “It’s about moments, it’s about details,” he said, as if moments and details exist in a parallel universe from players and managers.

“It’s not about myself,” he said. Well, it is, but to a point. It’s also about the players he has confused and bewildered with his ill-fitting shape and the ideology he refuses to alter no matter how befuddled things become.

On Friday, he made much of how difficult it’s been to introduce his system without a pre-season to bed-in his ideas. He didn’t have a pre-season to work with his players and he didn’t have a transfer window to bring in more players that could play his system. And yet he pressed on with the system regardless. Stubbornness? Arrogance? Naivety? All three at once?

Danny Rohl went into Rangers, surveyed what he had and got pragmatic. Like Nancy, he needs new players, too. Many of them. But he’s found a way to drag his team forward when his counterpart has only succeeded in taking his players backwards in the pursuit of something that only he can see.

The soft progress achieved under Martin O’Neill has been sacrificed on the altar of “process” and some self-regarding notion that Nancy is a visionary who’s building a footballing monument.