Which channel separates Scotland from Northern Ireland?

The North Channel separates Scotland from Northern Ireland in the northeastern Irish Sea.

It runs between the Mull of Kintyre and the Scottish mainland on one side and County Antrim in Northern Ireland on the other. The channel forms an important sea route between the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, with shipping passing near the entrances to Belfast Lough and the Firth of Clyde.

Its name can cause confusion because “North Channel” is also used for waterways in other parts of the world. In the British Isles, the term specifically identifies the passage between Great Britain and Ireland at their closest northern approach. The channel is narrower than the broad central Irish Sea.

The North Channel is also associated with the Beaufort’s Dyke submarine trench, a deep depression running through part of the seabed. Nearby geographic features include the Mull of Galloway in Scotland and Rathlin Island off Northern Ireland, which lies near the channel’s northern section.