Route: Holy Island
Area: Northumberland
Date of walk: 29th March 2015
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 3.6 miles
Weather: sunshine and showers
After a wonderful walk at Bamburgh earlier today, it seemed too much to expect that the weather would be on our side again, and so it seemed as we parked in the public car park just outside the village on Holy Island. It was raining. But after a while the rain turned to drizzle and a walk was on the cards
We walked into the village and visited Lindisfarne Priory, owned by English Heritage, and then strolled round the harbour to start the approach to Lindisfarne Castle. As we did so, the clouds parted and we we enjoyed a wonderful spell of weather. The castle itself was closed but this didn’t matter as the approach was magnificent. We could see and hear seals on the distant banks and there was a good variety of bird life
With more time available we’d have taken the wildlife trail round the island but that can wait for another time, as we’ll surely be back to this magical place, so we contented ourselves with retracing our steps back to the start
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
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We cross over by car to Holy Island, having checked the tide tables
We drive along the causeway. The walkers route is to our right, and we wished we’d had time to go on foot to the island
We parked in the main car park just outside the village and entered the ancient Lindisfarne Priory
The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin seen from the priory
Looking back to the approach road and the mainland beyond
The War Memorial, looking towards Lindisfarne Castle
Zooming in on a group of walkers approaching the island over the sands along The Pilgrim’s Path
Another shot with the telephoto lens, this time Bamburgh Castle - 5 miles away as the crow flies
Looking back over the priory as we start the walk towards Lindisfarne Castle
Some photos of the castle from the inner harbour, known as The Ouse……
Looking back to the priory and the village
Bamburgh Castle again from The Ouse
Lindisfarne is well known for its birdlife - a Bar Tailed Godwit
Dunlin
We arrived just too late to go inside the castle - it was closed
We visited the small but perfectly formed Gertrude Jekyll garden in the castle grounds
Not a good photo, these grey seals were a considerable distance away, but there were hundreds of them on sandbars like this
Looking back to Lindisfarne Castle
A last look back to the castle before we walk back through the village to the car
As we leave, we look along The Pilgrim’s Path - now on my wish list for a future walk
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