Carnlough Harbour

Carnlough sits at the foot of Glencloy, and its little limestone harbour is one of the most photogenic launch points on the Antrim coast that isn't smothered in National Trust signage. The harbour and adjacent car park are owned and managed by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, so this is legitimately public council land rather than a private quay you're sneaking onto. Launch from the outer arm of the harbour wall or the grassy verge behind it and you get the whitewashed harbour, the old limestone bridge that once carried quarry wagons over the main street, and the green amphitheatre of the glen climbing behind the village. Looking north the coast road curls away toward Garron Point. It's a working small-boat harbour, so keep well clear of moored vessels and anyone on the slip, and expect the odd curious onlooker. Winds funnel down the glen and can be gusty at the harbour mouth, so watch your headroom over the water. There are no airports close enough to matter here, the nearest FRZ being Belfast International roughly 35km to the south-west. Avoid overflying the busy Londonderry Arms area and the main street. Genuinely one of the friendliest, most reliable coastal spots in the glens.