Red Bay Castle

Red Bay Castle is a ruin perched on a headland along the coast of County Antrim in Northern Ireland, with stone walls overlooking the Irish Sea. The remains still show the shape of a medieval defensive stronghold that once sat in a strategic location between two valleys.

The fortress was built in the 13th century by the Bissett family after receiving land from King Henry III of England. It was rebuilt multiple times before its final destruction during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.

The castle was home to a family that bridged Irish and Scottish worlds, and this connection shaped life at the site for generations. People from both regions gathered here, making it a symbol of kinship across the water.

The ruins sit on private farmland and require advance permission from the owner for a visit. Exact coordinates and a local guide are helpful for finding this remote coastal location.

The site hosted marriages between Irish and Scottish noble families that built alliances across the sea over many generations. These bonds made the castle a meeting point for two cultures that rarely encountered one another elsewhere.