Wildflowers thriving on empty Giant's Causeway

Wildflowers grow between the stones at the Giant's Causeway amidst the absence of crowds due to the coronavirus lockdown. Picture from National Trust NI/Twitter

John Monaghan

18 May, 2020 01:00

ONE of Northern Ireland's most iconic landmarks may not be able to attract the crowds as a result of the current lockdown, but the absence of feet on the Giant's Causeway has allowed nature to shine with the emergence of wildflowers.

The National Trust said that with "Finn McCool in lockdown" it had never seen as many wildflowers "grow so tall", in social media posts.

"With Finn McCool in lockdown, the lack of feet has allowed wonderful wildflowers to burst between the stones. We've never seen so many, grow so tall. Finn's new garden can keep him close to nature as he stays home and stays local," it said.

Visitor numbers show that the famous spot on the north Antrim coast is Northern Ireland's most popular tourist attraction.

The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) said that more than a million people visited Giant's Causeway in 2018, a similar number to 2017. It was 35th in the ALVA list of the most visited attractions in the UK in 2018, up 14 places from 2017.

The National Trust said it was "looking forward to welcoming people back when able to do so" but that all sites in Northern Ireland would remain closed in line with Assembly advice.