QUEEN Elizabeth has visited the famous stones of the Giant's Causeway as part of her 90th birthday tour of the north coast.
The British royal and Duke of Edinburgh braved blustery conditions to view the World Heritage site in Co Antrim on the second day of their two-day trip on Tuesday.
Neville McConachie, visitor experience supervisor at the National Trust site, said: "She was asking about the formation of the rock and I was telling her it was either caused by nature or a giant, and I believe a giant".
Mr McConachie said he told the Queen that Scottish giant Benandonner reputedly destroyed the causeway as he fled Ireland in fear of doing battle with Finn MacCool.
"People did say that he actually moved to America, but I was asking her was he maybe knocking about Balmoral," he joked.
The Royal couple also unveiled a statue to Co Antrim soldier, Robert Quigg, who won a Victoria Cross for valour in the First World War.
The soldier was awarded the highest military honour for bravery during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
The queen and the Duke of Edinburgh spent a short time speaking with relatives of Robert Quigg - including great-nephew, retired schoolteacher Leonard Quigg.
Mr Quigg said: "She actually was able to say to me when she arrived that she had shaken the hand of Robert Quigg in 1953 when she visited Coleraine train station".
After the private lunch reception, crowds of well-wishers gathered at Coleraine station as the queen boarded a steam train to retrace the journey she took a month after her coronation in 1953.
On arrival at Bellarena station, she unveiled a plaque to mark the opening of its new platforms.
Shortly after her arrival at Hillsborough Castle on Monday, the Queen met First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness separately.
On exchanges picked up on camera, the Queen joked with Mr McGuinness that she was "still alive" and said she had been busy celebrating "two birthdays".
