The Northern Ireland Game of Thrones Tour

With biking season now rapidily approaching you may be thinking to yourself, ‘Where shall I go?  What shall I do?’

The Northern Ireland Tourist board have an entire section of their website dedicated to GoT locations (and since I did their original tour they have updated it further):

https://www.discovernorthernireland.com/gameofthrones/

Personally I haven’t seen a single episode of Game of Thrones, crazy eh?  But forgetting that each of these locations are simply stunning!  The show has picked them for very obvious reasons and when you you see them for yourself you will understand why!  Simply set the location into your satnav, and press the Winding Roads Button (if you are lucky enough to have one) and enjoy the ride, because you will absolutely enjoy the fnal destination!

Here is just a little taster for each location to wet your appitite, the rest I will leave up to you :

1.   Dragonstone : Downhill Beach, Seacoast Rd, Coleraine BT51 4RH

GPS coordinates : 55.168 -6.806

‘Downhill Beach is the location of Dragonstone, where the seven gods of Westeros were sacrificed by Lady Melisandre.’

2.  The Stormlands : Larrybane, Ballintoy, Ballycastle, BT54 6LS

GPS coordinates : 55.23606 -6.36196

This is where King Renly set up camp in The Stormlands during Season 2 and it’s where the fight in which Brienne of Tarth was introduced occurs.

3.  Pyke : Port of Pyke : The Iron Islands : Ballintoy Harbour, Harbour Road, Ballintoy, Ballycastle

GPS coordinates: 55.24422772108181 -6.369355914476955

‘This is where Theon first met his sister, Yara, and was baptised in the name of the Drowned God and paid homage to the ship ‘Sea Bitch’.’

4.  Storm’s End : (Near to) Murlough Bay : Murlough Road, Torr, Co. Antrim

GPS coordinates : 55.20537 -6.13385

‘Murlough Bay is best known for Theon’s horse ride with his sister Yara and the scene where Davos Seaworth was shipwrecked after the Battle of Blackwater Bay.’

5.  The Stormlands : Cushendun Caves, Cave Road, Ballymena

GPS coordinates : 55.12421 -6.03727

‘Cushendun Caves are where Davos Seaworth and Lady Melisandre landed ashore in Season 2 and the location of the birth of the shadow baby.’

6.  The King’s Road : The Dark Hedges, Bregagh Rd, Ballymoney

GPS coordinates : 55.13466 -6.38079

‘The stunning avenue of beech trees appeared in Game of Thrones when Arya Stark escaped from King’s Landing disguised as a boy.‘

Unfortunately as each year passes these trees are getting damaged by storms, in the past 2 winters we have lost many of the Dark Hedges Trees.  Rather than simply getting chopped up and destroyed these trees have be salvaged and turned into beautiful doors, the location of each can be found here:

http://interact.discovernorthernireland.com/blog/explore-doors-of-thrones-in-northern-ireland/

7.  Winterfell : Audley’s Castle, Audleystown Rd, Portloughan, Downpatrick BT30 7LP

GPS coordinates : 54.3743585026 -5.57067438396

‘Several scenes from Season 1 and Season 2 have been shot at Audley’s Field. It is the backdrop for King Robert Baratheon’s arrival at Winterfell in Season 1 and Robb’s camp in Season 2. Robb first meets Talisa here and it’s where Alton Lannister was imprisoned.’

Winterfell : Castle Ward, Downpatrick Road, Strangford, County Down, BT30 7BA

GPS coordinates : 54.36810 -5.59916

‘Castle Ward features as Winterfell’s courtyard in Game of Thrones. King Robert Baratheon arrived at Winterfell and was met by Stark during Episode 1 and this was where they talked during the hunt in Episode 2. Castle Ward made a return in Episode 10 when Bran and Osha were at Winterfell.’

8.  Robb Stark’s Camp : Inch Abbey, Inch Abbey Road, Downpatrick

GPS coordinates : 54.33608 -5.73172

‘Inch Abbey is another regular in Game of Thrones. Robb Stark’s camp was located here in season one and it is where he was proclaimed the King of the North.’

9.  Riverrun : River Quoile, Downpatrick, County Down

GPS coordinates : 54.35452 -5.69618

‘The Riverlands are home to the Tully’s and the scenes of Hoster Tully’s funeral were shot along the River Quoile.’

10.  The Haunted Forest : Tollymore Forest Park, Bryansford Road, Newcastle

GPS coordinates : 54.22659 -5.92262

‘Tollymore Forest Park features regularly in Game of Thrones. It’s the setting for The Haunted Forest where the Three Night’s Watch men encounter a White Walker and it is also the scene of Theon Grevjoys escape attempt when he is pursued by Ramsay Snow. Another notable scene from Tollymore Forest Park is Ned Stark finding the dead stag.’

11.  Beric Dondarrion’s Hideout : Pollnagollum Cave, Belmore Forest, near Boho, Fermanagh

GPS coordinates : 54.32893 -7.81905

‘In the fourth episode, the cave is used as the hollow hill, the hideout behind a waterfall, where Arya Stark and Gendry meet Beric Dondarrion and the ‘Brotherhood Without Banners’.

Thanks for reading, now enjoy the trip!