United Kingdom, Northern Ireland
The Antrim Coast Road is one of the finest coastal drives in these islands and it starts on the doorstep.
First instinct from Belfast: head north east along the coast.
Scored roads in range
12
Nearest great road
35 mi
Best rated nearby
9.5 / 10
Shortest full loop
2 hr 55 min
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Every road in the library carries a driving and scenery score set by the same method. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 3 May 2026
Under 60 km from the centre
Close enough for an evening run or a Sunday morning before the traffic wakes up.
Roughly 2 hr 55 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
60 to 150 km from the centre
Far enough to feel like a proper trip, close enough to be home for dinner.
Roughly 2 hr 54 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
42 mi away · Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland
A hair raising cliff edge single track with views across to the Mull of Kintyre.
13 km · 8.1 mi · Atlas rating 9.1 / 10
74 mi away · Ayrshire, Scotland
A coastal optical illusion road where cars appear to roll uphill on their own.
8 km · 5 mi · Atlas rating 8.2 / 10
42 mi away · Sperrin Mountains, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland's highest main road crossing sweeps over bleak Sperrin moorland.
18 km · 11.2 mi · Atlas rating 7.9 / 10
150 to 400 km from the centre
Leave early, take the long way back and make a day of it.
Roughly 12 hr 58 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
196 mi away · Applecross, Scottish Highlands
Britain's highest road climbs via hairpins to a wild moonscape pass above Applecross.
18.5 km · 11.5 mi · Atlas rating 9.9 / 10
110 mi away · Lake District, England
England's steepest road gradient, a brutal one in three climb over Roman ruins.
5 km · 3.1 mi · Atlas rating 9.5 / 10
148 mi away · Glen Coe, Scottish Highlands
A sweeping run through Rannoch Moor beneath the brooding Buachaille Etive Mor.
30 km · 18.6 mi · Atlas rating 9.4 / 10
202 mi away · Wester Ross, Scotland
A lochside single track with views straight across to Skye and the Cuillins.
25 km · 15.5 mi · Atlas rating 9.4 / 10
206 mi away · Brecon Beacons, Wales
A ribbon of hairpins climbing a bare Welsh moorland made famous by Top Gear.
19 km · 11.8 mi · Atlas rating 9.4 / 10
109 mi away · Lake District, England
A steep slate quarry pass squeezed between towering fells above Buttermere.
6.5 km · 4 mi · Atlas rating 9.3 / 10
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