Marconi's Cottage

Guglielmo Marconi, the Italian physicist and 1909 Nobel laureate, stayed with his assistant George Kemp at what’s now known as Marconi’s Cottage in May 1898 — a walk of about three miles from Ballycastle seafront. From here, the pair carried out early radio transmission experiments to and from Rathlin Island.

The cottage was never secured for public access by local councils and was eventually bought privately — it’s now somebody’s home, so there’s nothing to visit inside, but it’s a striking, windswept spot that captures something of the pioneering spirit of those early days of radio.

Location

Take the coast road (A2) east and turn left onto Carrickmore Road, then follow it to a further left turn, adjacent to Maguire’s Strand Caravan Park. Continue to the end of the road, where there’s a car park; Marconi’s Cottage is on the far side.