For years, thousands of visitors left coins for luck in Giant’s Causeway’s ancient rocks. Years later, more than 10,000 have been removed

A visitor tradition that may once have seemed harmless has become a conservation headache at Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway. More than 20kg of coins, estimated at around 10,000 pieces, have been removed from the famous basalt rock formations after visitors repeatedly pushed them into cracks and gaps.

The coins were often left as good-luck gestures or tokens of affection. But over the years, thousands ended up wedged deep inside the rocks, with some visitors even using stones to force them further in.

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According to the BBC, conservation teams have now spent months carefully removing the coins from the protected site. In some cases, freeing a single piece took more than 20 minutes.

Why were coins being removed from the Giant’s Causeway?

The practice had been taking place for years, but conservation concerns grew as the number of coins increased, particularly over the past decade.

The National Trust, which manages the site, was worried about more than the appearance of loose change scattered across the rocks. A Geological Survey of Northern Ireland report had recommended removing the coins because they could affect the basalt formations both physically and chemically.

Once lodged inside narrow cracks, the metal could put pressure on the surrounding rock. Corrosion could also leave rust-coloured stains across the dark basalt.

There was another concern. Visitors sometimes hammered coins into the gaps using stones, potentially widening natural cracks or chipping fragile edges.

"It is a relief, the coins were doing a significant amount of damage," said Dr Cliff Henry, a nature engagement officer with the National Trust.

The problem, therefore, was not one or two coins. It was the cumulative effect of thousands of them being forced into a landscape that formed naturally millions of years ago.

Removing the coins was slow, painstaking work

The removal operation began in May last year, with specialist stonemason Nathan Morrow brought in to tackle the more firmly embedded coins. There was no simple solution.

Coins sitting near the surface could sometimes be pulled out using pliers. Others were buried deeper and required a grouting tool to help loosen them without damaging the surrounding stone.

Some were particularly difficult to shift. Morrow found that gently moving a coin backwards and forwards could eventually break its grip.

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A coin might come free within moments. Another could take more than 20 minutes. That painstaking approach was necessary because the objective was not simply to remove the metal. The surrounding rock had to be protected during the process.

By the time the work progressed, more than 20kg of coins had been recovered from the Giant’s Causeway.

How did the Giant’s Causeway form?

The unusual landscape is the result of volcanic activity rather than human construction. The Giant’s Causeway contains around 40,000 basalt columns, created millions of years ago when molten rock rose through cracks in the Earth and cooled.

As the lava contracted, it fractured into the distinctive geometric shapes seen along the coast today.

The dramatic formations have also inspired one of Ireland’s best-known legends. According to folklore, the giant Finn McCool, or Fionn mac Cumhaill, created the causeway as a path to Scotland so he could face another giant. Another version of the story connects Finn to the Isle of Man and tells of him throwing a piece of earth during a confrontation.

The geological explanation is considerably less dramatic, but the result is just as striking.

National Trust asks visitors to stop leaving coins

The removal operation has also highlighted a broader challenge for conservation teams: small acts can become significant when repeated by thousands of visitors.

A single coin may appear insignificant. At a major tourist attraction, however, the same behaviour repeated over years can leave a lasting impact.

The National Trust has installed signs asking visitors not to push coins into the rocks. The organisation is also using social media to discourage the practice and explain why it can harm the formations.

For visitors who still want to leave money behind, Dr Henry has suggested using a charity collection box instead.

That way, a gesture intended to bring luck or mark a visit can benefit people rather than becoming another piece of metal lodged inside an ancient landscape.