This coming weekend sees scootering history made as Northern Ireland hosts its first-ever National Scooter Rally in Portrush.
The ticket-only event is being hosted by the Damsels in Distress and sold out very quickly, as did ferry places from the UK. We’ve ended up having to take a Scottish ferry rather than the much closer Birkenhead crossing. If you’re heading over there, or up there if you live in Ireland, it promises to be a weekend to remember.
Do you need a passport?
If you’re a UK citizen you don’t need a passport to enter Northern Ireland. However, it is advised that you take a photo ID with you and some ferry companies insist on it.
The most direct route from Belfast is on the M2 but we suggest you take the scenic route… it’s worth it!
Antrim coast road
Lots of scooterists will have been to Portrush in the past, The Damsels have been holding their annual ‘Gathering of the Clans’ rally in September for years.
If you’ve never been, be sure to take the Antrim Coast road, rather than the more direct route. Just get off the ferry, head towards Carrickfergus and keep the sea on your right and you can’t go far wrong. The coast is stunning and there are plenty of places to stop off along the way, including the Giant’s Causeway just a few miles from the rally. If you like a tipple you can also visit the Old Bushmills Distillery.
Rally info
Most of the info you need is on the flyer above but here are some points worth mentioning.
Wristbands
As this event is **SOLD OUT** and ticket only you’ll need to collect your wristband from Kelly’s Complex when you get there. The Damsels will be in the Deerstalker bar there from noon and have asked if you can try and collect wristbands early to help avoid queues later on.
If you’re staying in town, a free 20-seater coach is running each evening from 7.45 pm and after 1 am to collect and drop people off at the do or town.
Spare tickets?
If for some reason you can’t make it and have tickets, or if you’re looking for tickets you can put a post on the official rally Facebook page – a few tickets have been coming up for sale this week.
Taxis
If you want to get around and can’t be bothered to wait for the bus here are some local taxi numbers.
Karaoke
We’ve been told Michelle’s Karaoke is something not to be missed, that’s at 3 pm on Saturday
We’ll hope to see some of you there…
