South Stack Lighthouse

The lighthouse was built in 1809 on a small island separated from Holy Island by a narrow channel, to mark the route between Dublin and Holyhead. Originally the crossing was made by a hemp rope and a sliding basket; an iron suspension bridge replaced it in 1828 and a steel one in 1964, and after a closure in 1983 a new aluminium bridge reopened the lighthouse to visitors in 1997. Reaching it means descending around four hundred steps cut into the cliff and crossing the bridge, then climbing back. The cliffs on either side hold a large seabird colony, with guillemots, razorbills, puffins in small numbers and choughs, the red-billed crow that is scarce in Britain and breeds here; Elin's Tower, an RSPB visitor centre on the mainland, has a bird hide. The cliffs are sandstone and shale crumpled into large folds, with Holyhead Quartzite above, and are counted among the top 100 geosites in the UK for their folding.

The main sights

• The four hundred steps - a cliff stair down to the bridge and island.
• The seabird ledges - guillemots, razorbills and breeding choughs.
• The folded rock - sandstone and shale crumpled into folds in the cliff faces.
• Elin's Tower - an RSPB visitor centre with a bird hide.

When to go

April to July for the seabirds, which leave by late summer; the lighthouse opens to visitors seasonally and closes in high wind. Clear days give views to the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland.

Good to know

The steps are steep and the climb back is hard, with no alternative route. The lighthouse tour is separate from the free cliff viewing and has limited capacity. The bridge closes in strong wind, sometimes stranding the descent as a wasted walk.

Nearby

Holyhead Mountain and the coastal path are above; Holyhead port lies east.

Key facts