The Wren's Eggs – Whitehead, Northern Ireland - Atlas Obscura

The Wren's Eggs

These huge glacial erratics are humorously named after a much much smaller bird.  

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The Wren’s Eggs are located along Blackhead path in the coastal seaside town of Whitehead on the East Antrim coastline.

Blackhead Path is one of many coastal cliff walks along the Islandmagee peninsula including The Gobbins and Skernaghan Point. Blackhead Path leads visitors along a coastal pathway towards Blackhead Lighthouse after climbing the cliffside path through tunnels, and over bridges and steps.

The Wren’s Eggs are actually glacial erratics, large rocks that were transported and deposited in the region by glaciers some 10,000 years ago. These erratics are composed of various rock specimens that differ from the surrounding bedrock. This was a clue for researchers that the rocks were not originally from this region. 

The rocks are known locally as the Wren’s Eggs. This is a bit of local humor, as these large rocks could have never come from a small bird such as a wren. 

Know Before You Go

To get to the site, travel to Whitehead and park at the Blackhead Path car park along Whitehead promenade. Then walk along the path for around 800 meters and you will come across the Wren’s Eggs on a patch of stony beach along the side of Blackhead Path.


Alternatively, you can take the train to Whitehead train station and make your way along Whitehead promenade to the start of the Blackhead path, and walk to the site of the Wren’s Eggs.

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