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Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne, Castlerock

Companionship careColeraine

Days out in Coleraine for an older parent

Nine places in Coleraine that make a good day out for an older parent, from Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne to Coleraine Town Hall. For each one: what its own access information confirms, what it costs, how long to allow, and the carers nearby who drive and could take them.

Researched by PrimeCarers from each place’s own website and access information  ·  Updated September 2026

Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne. Photo: D LN, CC BY-SA 4.0

Nine days out across five towns

The best places to take an older parent in Coleraine

Five of them are free to visit or to walk around. The access information for four confirm an accessible toilet. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne, Castlerock

Photo: D LN, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Historic house · Castlerock

Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne

Downhill Demesne is the clifftop estate of the 18th-century Earl Bishop of Derry, with the ruins of his mansion, a walled garden and the small domed Mussenden Temple perched above the Atlantic. The views run along Downhill and Benone strands to Donegal, and Al's Coffee Bar is on site.

There are Blue Badge bays at the Lion's Gate, adapted toilets near the walled garden and step-free access into the coffee bar and parts of the walled garden, so a carer can plan a short circuit with a rest.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Portstewart Strand

Coast · Portstewart

Portstewart Strand

Portstewart Strand is a two-mile sweep of golden sand backed by high dunes, cared for by the National Trust, with views to Donegal and Downhill. Cars can drive onto part of the beach, and there is a visitor reception and picnic area.

The picnic area and the beach access point are step free and level, there are Blue Badge bays and adapted toilets, and beach wheelchairs can be booked in advance through the Mae Murray Foundation.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Check prices

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking

Their websiteAccess information

Dunluce Castle, Bushmills

Photo: Iain Irwin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Castle · Bushmills

Dunluce Castle

Dunluce is a ruined castle on a clifftop between Portrush and Bushmills, built by the MacQuillans around 1500 and later the seat of the MacDonnell earls of Antrim. Visitors can walk among the ruins and see finds from the excavated 17th-century town beside it.

The castle sits on an exposed cliff with uneven ground, so a carer may prefer to view it from the car park area and the nearby Magheracross viewpoint and picnic spot.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Old Bushmills Distillery, Bushmills

Photo: Reading Tom, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Day out · Bushmills

Old Bushmills Distillery

Bushmills holds one of the oldest whiskey licences in the world, granted in 1608, and the distillery still makes triple-distilled single malt here. Guided tours show the stills and warehouses and end with a tasting.

Tours are booked for set times, so a carer can plan the day around one visit and ask the distillery about the route before booking.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

East Strand, Portrush, Portrush

Photo: Aaron Keys, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coast · Portrush

East Strand, Portrush

East Strand is Portrush's main beach, a Blue Flag stretch of sand about 1.6 miles long running towards the White Rocks, with views to the Skerries. It is edged by a pedestrian promenade, with coffee shops and restaurants in the town close by.

There are disabled toilets and parking, concrete ramps onto the sand at both ends of the promenade, and free beach wheelchairs in July and August through the Mae Murray Foundation.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free, parking charged

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow
  • Blue Badge parking

Their website

Castlerock Beach, Castlerock

Photo: Karl304 (talk), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coast · Castlerock

Castlerock Beach

Castlerock beach is a kilometre of Blue Flag sand between the cliffs of Downhill and the mouth of the River Bann, backed by some of the oldest dunes in Ireland. The small resort of Castlerock sits behind it, with the Mussenden Temple visible on the cliffs.

Parking on the promenade is free, there are disabled toilets and parking, and boardwalks lead through the dunes to the sand.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free parking

What their access information confirms

  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking

Their website

Flowerfield Arts Centre

Gallery · Portstewart

Flowerfield Arts Centre

Flowerfield is Portstewart's arts centre in an old Georgian house, with galleries showing changing exhibitions, a craft shop and a café-style reception. It also runs classes in pottery, painting and other crafts.

Admission to the galleries is free and the centre has comprehensive disabled access, so it makes an easy indoor outing on a wet day.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Mountsandel Wood, Coleraine

Photo: Ridiculopathy, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Coleraine

Mountsandel Wood

Mountsandel Wood on the edge of Coleraine is the site of the earliest known human settlement in Ireland, where Stone Age hunters camped around 7900 BC. A forest walk leads from the earthen fort down to the River Bann, where swans, kingfishers and herons can be seen.

It is free and open all year, and a carer can keep to the upper path near the fort for a short walk with views over the river.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Coleraine Town Hall, Coleraine

Photo: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Coleraine

Coleraine Town Hall

Coleraine Town Hall is a sandstone Italianate building on the Diamond, the town's central square, and is now the exhibition venue for Coleraine Museum. Temporary displays from the museum collection run for more than six months of the year, and a monthly speciality market is held in the Diamond outside.

Entry is free and it sits in the pedestrian centre of Coleraine, so a carer can combine a look at the exhibition with a coffee in the town.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free, parking charges may apply

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Regular groups and events in Coleraine

Something to go back to every week or every year, from our research into what older people enjoy doing in Coleraine.

  • Music · PortrushAtlantic Sessions live music weekendAn annual music festival with gigs across venues in Portrush and Portstewart, mixing folk, country and acoustic acts. A carer can pick an afternoon or early evening set in a venue with seating rather than a late night.Details
  • Music · ColeraineSam Henry Weekend of songA weekend in Coleraine marking Sam Henry, the local collector whose Songs of the People preserved hundreds of Ulster songs. A carer can go along to a concert or talk and help with the walk in and the seating.Details
  • Dancing · ColeraineColeraine 50+ Forum tea danceThe town's 50+ Forum runs an annual information day with a tea dance for older residents. A carer can arrange transport, stay for tea and be on hand for a few slow numbers.Details
  • Dancing · ColeraineScottish country dancing at the Town HallRoyal Scottish Country Dance Society ceilidh dancing has been held at Coleraine Town Hall, a central venue in the town. A carer can check the date beforehand, come along as a partner and sit out the faster sets.Details
  • Photography · ColeraineColeraine District Camera ClubA long running local camera club with regular meetings, talks and competitions. A carer can drive to the meeting, help carry a tripod and bag, and sit in for the evening.Details
  • Painting · ColeraineColeraine Art SocietyA local art society whose members paint through the year and show work at an annual exhibition in Portstewart. A carer can help with materials, transport to meetings and getting pieces framed and delivered.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Coleraine

At a glance

The nine places side by side

What each place’s own access information confirms. “Ask” means it does not say, not that it is missing.

PlaceTimeCostStep-freeToiletCafé
Mussenden Temple and Downhill DemesneCastlerockan hour or twoPaid entryPartlyYesYes
Portstewart StrandPortstewartan hour or twoCheck pricesPartlyYesAsk
Dunluce CastleBushmillsan hour or twoPaid entryAskAskAsk
Old Bushmills DistilleryBushmillsan hour or twoPaid entryAskAskAsk
East Strand, PortrushPortrushan hour or twoFreePartlyYesAsk
Castlerock BeachCastlerockan hour or twoFreeAskYesAsk
Flowerfield Arts CentrePortstewartan hour or twoFreeAskAskYes
Mountsandel WoodColerainean hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Coleraine Town HallColerainean hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Coleraine

The county’s boundary, numbered as on this page, with the main towns for reference.

123456789
  1. 1Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne, Castlerock
  2. 2Portstewart Strand, Portstewart
  3. 3Dunluce Castle, Bushmills
  4. 4Old Bushmills Distillery, Bushmills
  5. 5East Strand, Portrush, Portrush
  6. 6Castlerock Beach, Castlerock
  7. 7Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart
  8. 8Mountsandel Wood, Coleraine
  9. 9Coleraine Town Hall, Coleraine

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Coleraine

Carers in Coleraine charge £19 to £22 an hour through PrimeCarers, typically £20, with our fee included. A four-hour outing is about £80 for the carer’s time. Entry, food and parking are extra, and travel costs are only payable if you agree them with the carer in advance, in writing. The cost of home care in Coleraine has the full figures.

Photographs on this page are from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one.

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Coleraine

Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne in Castlerock, Portstewart Strand in Portstewart, Dunluce Castle in Bushmills, Old Bushmills Distillery in Bushmills, East Strand, Portrush in Portrush, Castlerock Beach in Castlerock, Flowerfield Arts Centre in Portstewart, Mountsandel Wood in Coleraine and Coleraine Town Hall in Coleraine. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne, Portstewart Strand, East Strand, Portrush and Castlerock Beach have an accessible toilet. East Strand, Portrush lends wheelchairs. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

East Strand, Portrush, Castlerock Beach, Flowerfield Arts Centre, Mountsandel Wood and Coleraine Town Hall. Parking is often charged even where entry is free.

Yes. A companion carer can drive your parent there, walk at their pace, help with the toilet and meals, and bring them home. 9 of the carers with a rate near Coleraine drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £20 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Coleraine shows who is available.

Often. Many attractions let a carer or companion in free, or at a reduced price, with a disabled visitor, and some ask for proof such as a letter or a benefit award. It varies, so check each place’s access or prices page before you go.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about an hour of Coleraine

Where the nearest carers live. A carer close to home can manage a longer day out.

Companionship care in the counties around Coleraine

Days out in the areas around Coleraine

Companionship care by town in Coleraine

Each town page shows the carers who list it as home, with their rates and reviews.

Find a carer who could take them out in Coleraine

See carers near Coleraine who drive, with their photos, interests, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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