Bellarena

Bellarena is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Named by the Earl Bishop of Derry from the Italian/Latin meaning 'Beautiful Strand.' It is on the A2 coastal road between Limavady and Coleraine, 6 miles north of Limavady. It is sometimes referred to as Ballyscullion. The land was settled in the mid-17th century by a Northamptonshire gentleman, William Gage, who bought the lease of the estate - then called Ballymargy - from the Lord Bishop of Derry. In the 2001 Census the population was 291. The village lies within Causeway Coast and Glens District Council area and the North Derry Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with open views eastwards to the scarp slope of Binevenagh.