Farne Islands

The islands are the outer end of the Whin Sill, the same dolerite that carries Bamburgh and part of Hadrian's Wall, breaking the surface as fifteen to twenty islands depending on the tide. Cuthbert lived as a hermit on Inner Farne and died there in 687, and the chapel on the island commemorates him; he made rules protecting the eider ducks, which is among the earliest bird protection anywhere, and eiders are still called cuddy ducks locally. Around a hundred thousand pairs of seabirds of twenty-three species breed here, including puffins in tens of thousands, and Arctic terns nest beside the landing paths and attack anything that walks past, drawing blood through a thin hat. Grey seals pup in autumn, over two thousand a year. Grace Darling rowed out from Longstone in 1838 to a wreck here.

What you actually see

• The tern attacks - Arctic terns diving on visitors along the landing paths.
• The puffin burrows - tens of thousands nesting within a metre of the walkways.
• Inner Farne chapel - the island where Cuthbert lived and died in 687.
• The grey seals - over two thousand pups born on the outer islands each autumn.

When to go

May to July for the seabird colonies, with puffins gone by late July; autumn for seal pupping. Boats run from Seahouses on the tide and cancel in swell. Landings on some islands are restricted in peak breeding weeks.

Honest expectations

A hat is essential, since terns strike the highest point and their bills break skin. Boats cancel often in rough weather and landings are not guaranteed even after departure. Bird flu closed landings for periods in recent years, so current arrangements need checking.

Nearby

Bamburgh Castle is visible from the boats; Seahouses is the departure harbour.