At the western tip of Rathlin the cliffs open straight onto the Atlantic, and from late April to early August they are packed with breeding puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes, razorbills and fulmars, Northern Ireland's largest seabird colony. The RSPB runs a seabird centre and viewpoint here, next to the West Light, the unusual "upside-down" lighthouse first lit in 1919, which clings to the face of the cliff.
The centre is about four miles from the harbour. In season a minibus meets the ferry and allows about an hour at the site, or you can walk the lane, which means four miles each way; allow for the walk back to your ferry. The centre is open only during the breeding season (it had closed for 2026 by October) and dogs are not allowed in the reserve area.