Blue skies bring out kites and sun worshippers in Co Derry despite the cold

A couple of hundred people made the most of the good weather at Benone beach yesterday, including members of Kitecrew Ireland. Many visitors to the beach sat in their cars but some hardy souls brought their deckchairs and donned hats, gloves and scarves and erected windbreakers to provide warmth as they sat out on the sand to soak up the rays from the sun.

Dogs chased balls, children splashed in the water, made sandcastles and drove about in toy carts and cars while adults fired up the barbecues.

It had all the ingredients of a lovely summer’s day - apart from the fact that the temperature never rose above 8 degrees celsius.

Kitecrew Ireland members said they would be back somewhere along the local coastline at the end of ths month.

With seven miles of golden sand and a magnificent back drop of mountain and cliff scenery and stunning views across to Donegal, Benone runs up to Downhill beach, where the train from Derry passes through a tunnel topped by the iconic Mussendum Temple.

Tourism NI markets Benone as “an attractive sightseeing environment along with the usual seaside activities including watersports, walking, picnic spots and fishing. The clean, firm, golden sands of Benone Strand are without rocks, shingle or seaweed and are preceded by the glorious natural formations of Benone’s sand dunes. Benone is a haven for nature lovers as the entire area is a paradise for the study of botany, entomology and shells”.

If you want to enjoy all this during the next Kitecrew Ireland visit, follow them on Facebook where they post regular updates.