Mysterious Northern Ireland is fraught with many wonders. One of them is the amazing Path of the Giants. It seems as if an unknown sculptor worked for thousands of years, erecting a road from stone columns. This unique natural landmark has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and this decision is undeniable.
Interesting facts about Ireland in our article.
Tens of thousands of skillfully carved basalt columns create a unique landscape. Most of them have six corners, but an attentive traveler can find those with four, five, seven, or eight. All together they really resemble a giant road. It bends around the cliffs and goes into the sea, and the differences in the height of the columns from 6 to 12 meters give the impression of a staircase carelessly hewn by giants.
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Legend
When looking at the Path of the Giants, it is impossible to believe that its origin can be explained by the most common natural processes, so for romantics and myth lovers there is a legend about this place.
In time immemorial, giants inhabited these harsh lands. The gigantic warrior Finn Mac Kumalo had a difficult disposition, and strong rivals did not frighten him. On the contrary, they aroused the desire to measure their strength. Such a rival was the one-eyed giant who lived across the sea. The distance did not stop Finn and he decided to build a bridge, but not a simple one, but a stone one. With his sword, the indefatigable giant hewed gigantic columns out of the basalt and drove them into the ground.
Further, folklore disagrees. Some say that Finn got tired and fell asleep, and the one-eyed warrior came to him himself. Others believe that after seeing a powerful rival, fear seized the protagonist and fled. But in the finale of both options, Finn's wife becomes the savior.
As usual in legends, she defeated the one-eyed warrior not by force, but by cunning and ingenuity. The clever woman swaddled her husband like a child, and met her rival with open arms and treats - cakes with pans baked in them. She herself sat down to lull her baby and feed him the same delicacy, only without the filling. The uninvited guest, not suspecting anything, saw a giant baby that was tirelessly chewing iron, asking for supplements, and realized that it was definitely not worth messing with the father of this child. The frightened rival ran away at breakneck speed. Carrying off his feet, he destroyed the bridge, and since then the stone columns go under the water.
Origin
In fact, the origin of the Giant's Trail has a scientific explanation. This area became famous only at the end of the 17th century, and tourists in large numbers began to appear here more than a hundred years later. In addition to the unique landscape, visitors like this place and for the fact that their movement here is completely unlimited. Despite the fact that the Path of the Giants is a nature reserve, there are no closed areas here.
Curious tourists can find similar formations in other parts of the world, but it is here that their most massive concentration is located. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Path of the Giants is of interest not only to amateurs, but also to scientists. For several centuries they tried to agree on a common opinion, putting forward different hypotheses. Some believed that the pillars were crystals that had been growing under the waters of ancient oceans for thousands of years. Others believed that the columns were nothing more than a petrified bamboo forest.
Most modern scholars have settled on a different point of view. According to their version, millions of years ago, the eruption of an ancient volcano formed here a vast lava plain, the basis of which was basalt. Gradually hardening, it cracked, forming an amazing pattern. When the magma solidified, the cracks gradually deepened and subsequently formed regular hexagonal columns. This is how scientists explained the origin of the Path of the Giants. But who knows, maybe a frightened one-eyed giant is still sitting alone on the island in the middle of the cold sea ...
Sights
The columns of the Giant's Trail form three platforms. The first of them is called the Great Trail and originates from the rocky mountains. This platform is a monumental staircase, the steps of which reach a height of six meters. Going down to the sea, the trail becomes more gentle and looks like a road for giants. The second site is the Middle and Small trails.
Columns from this group are located near the main path, but they no longer resemble a path, but separate mounds. Observing precautions, you can examine them, moving from one pillar to another. The third site is the most mysterious and least visited. This is the uninhabited island of Staffa, which is located 130 km from the coast. Its name translates as "The Island of Pillars". Between the columns, the island hides its main attraction - Fingal's Cave, which is about 80 meters long.
The giants laid the beginning of their trail along the cliffs. Later, people appreciated their bizarre shape and gave them original names. There are also musical instruments - Harp and Organ, and stone accessories forgotten by the giants - the Loom, Cannons and even the Giant's Coffin. The unknown giant has forgotten here and his shoe. This is what one of the cobblestones looks like. Inquisitive visitors calculated that the owner of this shoe was at least 16 meters tall.
Separate pillars of the Path of the Giants not only rise, but look like the chimneys of a severe northern castle from the sea. A curious case in the history of the country is connected with this. The "invincible armada" of the Spaniards, approaching the shores, decided to fire at the territory bearing the threat and attacked. The only loss suffered was the basalt columns, because there was no castle on the shore. The Spanish ship crashed on the rocks, and the army suffered considerable losses in the cold waters. The sunken treasures were raised from the bottom and are still kept in one of the museums in Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Giant's Trail is a unique sight to behold. The harsh northern nature enchants with its steadfastness and dispassion. The gigantic road is saturated with the spirit of antiquity. Legends are made about her, tourists from their world do not get tired of admiring her. This place is definitely worth seeing.
Another interesting place in Ireland is Ross Castle.
