Plan your visit to the Farne Islands with North East Escapes. See puffins, seals and seabirds on Seahouses boat trips, and find nearby holiday homes. |
Visit the Farne Islands, Northumberland's Spectacular Wildlife Archipelago
The Farne Islands are one of the most extraordinary wildlife spectacles in the British Isles, a group of rocky islands just off the Northumberland coast near Seahouses that are home to some of the largest and most accessible seabird colonies and grey seal populations in England. In summer the rocks are packed with thousands of puffins, guillemots, razorbills, shags, kittiwakes and Arctic terns, with the birds so close and so unbothered by human presence that you can practically look them in the eye. There are few wildlife experiences in Britain to match a summer afternoon on the Farne Islands.
The Farnes are a group of between 15 and 28 islands depending on the state of the tide, lying between one and five miles offshore from the Northumberland coast. They are managed by the National Trust and have been a protected nature reserve for over a century. The islands have deep Christian significance too: Saint Cuthbert, the great seventh-century bishop of Lindisfarne, chose Inner Farne as his retreat and died there in 687 AD. A small chapel dedicated to him still stands on the island. The islands' grey seal colony, which hauls out on the rocks to pup in autumn, is one of the largest in England, with over a thousand pups born here each year.
The principal visitor islands are Inner Farne and Staple Island, both accessible by boat trips from Seahouses harbour. In the puffin breeding season from May to July, Inner Farne's clifftops and grass slopes are packed with nesting puffins that will approach within touching distance, while Arctic terns dive-bomb anyone passing near their nests with impressive determination. Staple Island's stacks and ledges are packed with tens of thousands of guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes. Grey seals haul out on the rocks throughout the year but are most spectacular in the autumn pupping season from October to December. The lighthouse on Inner Farne and the St Cuthbert's Chapel add historical and cultural interest to the wildlife experience.
Boat trips to the Farne Islands depart from Seahouses harbour, Northumberland, NE68 7SH, with several licensed operators running trips from spring through to autumn. The most popular season is May to July for puffins, and October to December for seal pups. Landing trips are more expensive than non-landing cruises and must include a National Trust landing fee paid on board. Advance booking with the boat operators is essential in peak season as trips sell out. Seahouses has good parking, cafés and fish and chip shops.
North East Escapes offers a wonderful selection of holiday homes near the Farne Islands in and around Seahouses and the north Northumberland coast. Staying near Seahouses puts you moments from the harbour for early morning boat trips and right in the heart of the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with Bamburgh Castle, Bamburgh Beach and Holy Island all within a short drive. Our coastal Northumberland holiday homes are among the most sought-after in our collection, and many guests plan their entire visit around the tides and the wildlife boat trips.
