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The mansion built in the 1790s for the Earl of Belmore by James Wyatt stands grandly at the end of a long driveway and is set in impressive grounds. The house has been almost completely rebuilt in its original Neo-Classical style as commissioned by the first earl, while the sumptuous interior is richly decorated with elaborate plasterwork. The lavish 18th- and 19th-century Regency furnishings are those favoured by the second earl during the 1820s.

The Causeway, a designated a World Heritage Site since 1986, is a truly remarkable natural spectacle, its thousands of extraordinary hexagonal pillars of basalt rock clustered like a gigantic piece of honeycomb. The rocks descend from seafront cliffs into the water and disappear from view. Supposedly created by legendary warrior Finn MacCoul as his stepping stones to Scotland (see Finn and the Salmon of Knowledge), the Causeway was really created by a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago. There’s a useful visitors’ centre nearby.

The grandly aristocratic 18th-century home of the Marquises of Londonderry displays a superb art collection, and stands in wonderful landscaped gardens with remarkable plant collections. There is some extraordinary topiary, exquisite planned views and numerous odd stonecarvings representing creatures such as dodos and dinosaurs. Also in the grounds is the elegant octagonal Temple of the Winds, a copy of a Classical relic near Athens.

Among the finest scenery in Ireland is the coast of County Antrim, where nine beautiful valleys (glens) cut deeply through high rolling hills to descend grandly into the sea. The effect, seen from the shore road, is spectacular. Follow the A2 through Carnlough, with its tiny harbour, through Waterfoot, with waterfalls and a Forest Park, all the way up to the Giant’s Causeway.

The serene waters and small islands extending north from Enniskillen can be explored by boat, or encircled by road. Devenish Island, reached from the east bank, is the remarkable site of 6th-century monastic ruins, a Celtic High Cross, and an 80-ft (25-m) Round Tower. Boa Island, reached by a causeway, is noted for a strange double-faced Celtic stone carving. Another group of curious stone figures stands on White Island.

The city where Queen Macha built her fortress some 3,000 years ago, Armagh has a curious role in Ulster’s religious divide. St Patrick based himself here, and the city is considered the ecclesiastical capital of both communities, with a Catholic and a Protestant cathedral, each dedicated to Patrick. The town also has a good museum and astronomy centre.

Northern Ireland’s capital is a vibrant Victorian city with good shops, pubs, museums and galleries. Call at the Belfast Welcome Centre for details of the attractions in and around the city.

Many Americans can trace their roots back to 19th-century rural Ulster, and many, like local-born millionaire Thomas Mellon, did very well in their new home. The Folk Park, built around Mellon’s birthplace, reconstructs their lives on both sides of the Atlantic. The nearby History Park tells the region’s rich story from the Stone Age up to the Protestant Plantation.

The gardens and grandiose 18th-century Palladian mansion originally belonged to Lord Mount-florence. Among the original features are an icehouse and a water-driven sawmill, while the interior is decorated with ornamental plasterwork and period furnishings.

At the heart of Derry (Londonderry) is a fascinating walled Plantation town, its 350-year-old fortifications almost intact. Free Derry Corner, where a wall is painted with the words “You Are Now Entering Free Derry”, is the most famous of the town’s many political murals.