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Northwest of Larne lie the nine Glens of Antrim , cutting back from the sea to wild country behind. It's a curious landscape, with enormous contrasts between the neat seaside villages and the rough moorland above, and its well-defined topography gives first-time visitors the strange sensation that they know it well already. The best base for exploration of the area is Cushendall , a charming village 26 miles northwest of Larne in the heart of the Glens. Despite their proximity to the Scottish coast, the Glens were extremely isolated until the completion of the coast road in the 1830s. As a consequence, they were also one of the last places in Northern Ireland where Irish was spoken. Transport is still a problem here and the only service to run from one end of this coast to the other is the daily Belfast-Coleraine Ulsterbus express, called the Antrim Coaster (tel 028/9033 3000 for times). If you've time, you can dawdle along on a series of local buses; check the times with local tourist offices. Hitching is generally fine, but don't expect lifts to take you very far. Cycling is heady but strenuous, and don't rely on being able to rent a bike: one of the few places that has some is the Ardclinis Activity Centre (tel 028/2177 1340) in Cushendall. One alternative means of getting about is pony trekking , which can be a delight in good weather: the main centre is at Ballycastle , at the northern extremity of the glen-fractured coast . Ballycastle is also the departure point for the ferry to rugged Rathlin Island , Northern Ireland's last inhabited island, in one of whose caves Robert the Bruce of Scotland acquired a legendary lesson in patience from a spider spinning and re-spinning its web.
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