Craigahulliar (sometimes written as Craignahulliar) is a large former quarry located 3km SE of Portrush. It was worked by Portrush Columnar Basalt Company Ltd. until the 1980s. Having been disused for several years, the quarry was purchased by Coleraine Borough Council who in the early 1990s obtained planning permission for a municipal waste landfill operation. Phase 1 of the site development commenced in July 1997 and is expected to be completed in 2001. This development included extensive civil engineering works in the quarry and installation of a liner generating a void space of 0.25 million cubic metres. Further development to generate a capacity of 1.3 million m3 is planned and the landfill is expected to operate over a 25 year period. In April 1998, geological features in the former quarry were designated a Geological ASSI, and Coleraine Borough Council have collaborated with the EHS to preserve significant features within the site and to maintain public access to them. Craigahulliar is part of a regional geological trail (Lyle, 1996), and an interpretive centre located near the former quarry entrance was opened in 1999.
