Whether it’s getting rowdy, leaving rubbish everywhere or driving up the cost of housing, we all know that, sometimes, tourists can do more harm than good.The likes of Amsterdam, Venice and Barcelona have all been pushing back against damage done by visitors in recent years, and now, it’s Northern Ireland that’s got a bone to pick. Giant’s Causeway is one of the country’s most popular attractions and recently, it’s been paying the price.
Tourists have been squeezing coins into the tiny nooks and crannies in the rocks as a memento, kind of like the padlocks on the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris. It might sound fairly innocent, but the coins are actually causing a lot of damage to the landmark, and the National Trust are urging visitors to stop.
The coins get soaked in saltwater spray and rust rapidly. When they rust, they grow to three times their original thickness, which in turn rapidly causes the 60 million year old rocks to flake. The copper, nickel and iron oxides also stain the rocks with rust coloured streaks.
The protected world heritage site is made up of around 40,000 almost perfectly hexagonal basalt columns that stick out of the sea. Legend has it that it was created by Irish giant Finn McCool to help him get across the Irish Sea to take on his Scottish rival Benandonner. If you’d prefer a (more likely) scientific explanation, geologists say it was formed by an outpouring of lava 60 million years ago.
Dr Cliff Henry, National Trust Nature engagement officer at the Giant’s Causeway, said: ‘We know that visitors really love and cherish the Giant's Causeway, and many form deep personal connections to this special landscape.
‘We know some may want to leave a token of their visit, but the coins are causing damage and we are urging people to stop the practice and to leave no trace so this natural wonder remains special for future generations.’
The trust has joined forced with Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust to hire stone conservationist specialists, who will remove the coins without causing further damage. A trial successfully took place at 10 test locations and now it’s hoped that all the coins left at the site will be removed. The project is estimated to cost £30,000.
Signs will also be put up to warn visitors not to wedge coins anywhere on the site.
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