
Brown’s Bay is a good anchorage especially in conditions with a southerly quadrant, however, it can be subject to swell and any conditions with a northerly component would make the anchorage untenable. In such circumstances, it would be advisable to move a short distance into Larne Lough which is within a couple of miles. Access to the bay is straight-forward at any stage of the tide in daylight as it is completely open to the north.
Keyfacts for Brown’s Bay
Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Protected sectors
Approaches
Shelter
Last modified
July 18th 2018 Summary
A good location with straightforward access.Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
This an anchoring position within Brown’s Bay’s south-western corner.
What is the initial fix?
The following Brown’s Bay Initial Fix will set up a final approach:

What are the key points of the approach?
Offshore details are available in the northeast Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Malin Head to Strangford Lough
.
- Approaches to bay can be found in the Larne Harbour
entry.
- Track into the middle of the bay staying well clear of the rocky spit extending northward from Skernaghan Point.
Not what you need?
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Below are the ten nearest havens to Brown’s Bay for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Ferris Bay - 0.4 miles WSW
- Larne Harbour - 0.6 miles SSW
- Portmuck - 1 miles ESE
- Ballydowan - 1 miles S
- Mill Bay - 1.2 miles SSE
- Magheramorne Point - 1.3 miles S
- Ballygalley Bay - 2.5 miles NW
- Whitehead - 4 miles SSE
- Carrickfergus Harbour & Marina - 5.5 miles S
- Glenarm Bay and Harbour - 5.7 miles NW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Ferris Bay - 0.4 miles WSW
- Larne Harbour - 0.6 miles SSW
- Portmuck - 1 miles ESE
- Ballydowan - 1 miles S
- Mill Bay - 1.2 miles SSE
- Magheramorne Point - 1.3 miles S
- Ballygalley Bay - 2.5 miles NW
- Whitehead - 4 miles SSE
- Carrickfergus Harbour & Marina - 5.5 miles S
- Glenarm Bay and Harbour - 5.7 miles NW
To find locations with the specific attributes you need try our resources search
Chart
How to get in?

Image: Michael Harpur
Brown’s Bay is a small sandy bay on the northern tip of the Islandmagee peninsula between the two rocky promontories of Skenaghan Point and Barrs Point.
Vessels approaching Brown’s Bay should take care not to impede commercial traffic approaching Larne. An approaching vessel should make ‘Larne Port Control’ aware of its intentions and they will advise on ship movements, weather, tide, etc. The call sign for the Port of Larne is [Larne Port Control] on VHF Ch. 14, P: +44 28 28 872179.
The Initial fix will be found half a mile north of the centre of the bay. It is offset to the Skernaghan Point side in order to avoid taking a southern approaching vessel close to the rock spit off Skernaghan Point. The foul Skernaghan Point is the northernmost point of Islandmagee and its rocky outcrop that stretches northward from it is the area’s primary danger. A berth of at least 500 metres from Skernaghan Point clears this danger.


Land on the beach in the southwest corner of the bay. About half kilometre along the coastline is the Bay’s small shop and post office.
Why visit here?

Although its current name dates back to the 7th-century landowning farmer, the peninsula’s history dates back to the Mesolithic period. In 1962 a number of graves with well-preserved skeletons were found at Brown's Bay. A number of other items were found with the bodies that dated the settlement back to 2000 BC. Neolithic houses have been excavated throughout the Islandmagee peninsula and finds include Neolithic pottery, flint arrowheads, javelin heads and polished stone axe fragments. Within 10 minutes’ walk of the bay is the Ballylumford Dolmen, known locally as the "Druids Altar", which is estimated to have been constructed in the same time period.
Today Brown’s Bay is the most popular tourist spot on what is known locally as the “Island”. This refers to Islandmagee as a whole which in truth is a peninsula located between the towns of Larne and Carrickfergus, with Larne Lough separating it from the mainland. The 'Island' is eight miles long and contains scattered farms with quiet lanes fringed by hedgerows that divide the green fields. This sense of history is treasured and guarded by the very friendly local community who are proud of their combined seafaring and farming traditions. The people here are locally called ‘bean eaters’ owing to an old agricultural crop rotation programme in which beans were grown to supply nitrogen to the soil. Like most islanders, they enjoy a self-reliant reputation and reportedly provide more master mariners for its size than any other locality in Ireland. The area has changed little over the years, retaining its own special charm.

Those who feel like striding out will find an excellent walk out through the 90 acres of open access National Trust property surrounding Skenaghan Point on the tip of Islandmagee. From Brown's Bay beach follow the promenade along to the east and up the stoney path towards Skernaghan Point. This leads into a well-worn ‘right-of-way’ grass path that initially runs through bushes and then opens grazing lands alongside the rocky coastline. Follow the coastline either at sea level or from the vantage of the field at the top. Those following the coastline will pass a local landmark called the ‘Rocking Stone’ along the way. Today it rocks no more as a concrete plinth has been built around it. The only indication that the walk has finished is a fence line. From here the view north across the horizon is truly beautiful.

From a purely boating point of view, Brown’s Bay offers a good anchorage with a sandy beach to land upon to enjoy the northern promontories of Islandmagee. It provides easy access to Larne with good coastal walks and some provisioning potential.
What facilities are available?
Public Toilets are available at Brown's Bay and Steele's shop has some provisions plus a post office.Brown's Bay beach is 6 miles from Carrickfergus using the A2 and B90. There are two bus services to and from Brown's Bay beach each day, route 169. There is a railway station at Ballycarry and from there it is 5 miles to the beach. However, those intending to walk should note that there are no footways on these roads. Whilst traffic is generally not heavy, a 60 mph limit operates on the country roads and there are many blind bends.
A closer alternative is Larne Harbour Station via the small ferry from Ballylumford that takes 5 minutes to cross the mouth of the lough. There is a footway for all of the 1.6 KM (1 mile) journey, and traffic is light from Brown's Bay to Ballylumford where the small passenger ferry departs. The small ferry takes no more than 12 people and booking is essential P +44 28 2827 3785.
Any security concerns?
Never a problem known to have occurred in Brown’s Bay.With thanks to:
Terry Crawford, local boatman of many decades. Photography with thanks to Don McCluney, Albert Bridge, Mary and Angus Hogg, Robert Ashby, Aubrey Dale, Kyle and Wilson Adams.Expand to new tab or fullscreen
The above plots are not precise and indicative only.







_by_Albert_Bridge.jpg)

A flyover of Brown's Bay with motor and wind noise
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