A causeway is a road that is raised above the level of water. On the northern coast of Northern Ireland, near the town of Bushmills in County Antrim, nature has formed a set of dark-coloured rocks that stretch from the land out to sea. These large rocks,
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. The formation is a result of an ancient volcanic eruption. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. They are different heights but the tallest are about 12 metres (36 feet) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres thick in places. Weathering of the rock formation has also created circular structures, which the locals call ‘giant’s eyes’. The rock formation was created about 50 million to 60 million years ago, when a crack appeared in Earth’s crust.
As a result, lava (the liquid rock that pours out of volcanoes) escaped from deep underground and spread out in waves on the surface. Over a long period of time, the lava cooled and slowly hardened. As it hardened, it formed columns of a rock called basalt.
The columns look a bit like a giant rock path or bridge across the water. Legend has it that Fionn MacCumhaill (Finn MacCool), a mythical warrior, formed the columns with his bare hands, so his armies could cross the sea to fight the Scottish.
According to another legend, Finn supposedly built the causeway so that he could reach Scotland without getting his feet wet.
The Giant’s Causeway is a very unusual sight, and it attracts visitors from all over the world. It is considered a great natural wonder. There is a similar rock formation 75 miles away across the sea, at Fingal’s Cave, in Scotland.
The Causeway is an excellent place to spot sea birds, including razorbills, cormorants and petrels. Some rare plants also thrive in the rock formation, including sea spleenwort.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) made the Giant’s Causeway a World Heritage Site in 1986. It was named a National Nature Reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant's Causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom.
The Giant's Causeway is today owned and managed by the National Trust. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.
Famous Landmarks Quiz 29
How was Giant’s Causeway formed?
Famous Landmarks Quiz 28 Nugegoda