North Channel

The North Channel separates northeastern Ireland from southwestern Scotland and connects the Irish Sea with the Atlantic. At its narrowest, the shores of Antrim and Kintyre lie within sight of one another, making the crossing a longstanding link between Ulster and the Scottish west. Rathlin Island stands near the Irish coast, where strong tides and meeting currents complicate navigation. Ships using the passage must reckon with rapidly changing water as well as the weather of a channel open to the ocean at its northern end.