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"Holy Island", England

From what I've read in the book and seen on the internets, this little islet ("Holy Island" aka Lindisfarne) sounds intriguing. It almost sounds a bit like an English version of Mont St Michel - but presumably without the crush of tourists.

Yeah, I know it's not exactly the same - there's no magnificent abbey crowning the pinnacle. But there's (apparently) a ruined castle on a hill which looks spiffy from a distance, and an old ruined priory in the town. Twice a day, the tide cuts it off from the mainland and it becomes a true island for a few hours.

That sounds pretty charming, and I'm inclined to spend a part of a day there. We will be passing by anyway, enroute from Durham to Edinburgh, so we wouldn't have to go too far out of way to check it out. I figure if we get there and decide the place stinks, we can always just flee back across the causeway to the mainland (until it floods...) and continue on to Edinburgh. But it sounds potentially interesting.

Been there? What did you think? Worth a part of a day on a busy trip? Worth an overnight? Thanks for any input.

Posted by
2599 posts

I would definitely make the short detour off the A1 to see Bamburgh Castle - at least from the outside. From here, you will see Lindisfarne in the distance. (You need to return to the A1 & proceed N for about 4 miles to reach the turn off for Lindisfarne).

Also in the same area - but further south towards Newcastle, is > http://www.alnwickcastle.com

Posted by
135 posts

Hi David

Holy Island is well worth an hour or two , especially if you have an interest in its location, and its ancient ecclesiastical history (raided by the Vikings etc etc). If you can time your visit right, there's at least one hotel/restaurant on the island that serves a very decent crab salad for lunch. If you do decide to visit, ensure you check out in advance the tide tables for access/exit. as you could be marooned on the island and disrupting our schedule for a few hours, either side of high tide.

NB England also has a much closer alter-ego (at least a 'look-a-like') of Mont St Michel, also called St. Michael's Mount, in SW Cornwall!

Posted by
1869 posts

We enjoyed our visit to Lindisfarne. We visited the ruined abbey and had lunch at a pub on the island. This took a couple of hours. We didn't bother walking to the castle since there are far more interesting ones in Northumberland and the nearby Scottish coast. There were plenty of people there - it wasn't crowded but certainly not an isolated and deserted ruin. Don't worry about getting marooned on the island for several hours - the tide times are clearly posted and tide calendars for the island are also posted online.

Posted by
6811 posts

I would definitely make the short detour off the A1 to see Bamburgh Castle

Yes, Bamburgh looks like a good one, at least for some exterior photos. I do plan to make a quick stop - I figure the exterior is enough. And a very decent crab salad for lunch…sounds lovely.

Also in the same area - but further south towards Newcastle, is > http://www.alnwickcastle.com

That one looks pretty good, too. Mmmm…can't do them all, gotta pick and choose.

NB England also has a much closer alter-ego (at least a 'look-a-like') of Mont St Michel, also called St. Michael's Mount, in SW Cornwall!

Dang! Didn't know about that one. We were not planning to make it to Cornwall on this trip…now that complicates things!

Thanks all for the feedback, very helpful.

Posted by
6113 posts

Before you plan your day on Lindisfarne, check out of you can get there (and back!) -http://orawww.northumberland.gov.uk/www2/holyisland/holyisland.asp

The tides move quickly, so do not attempt outside of these times. There is a castle which is worth an internal inspection if it is open and there is a short circular walk out to the headland. There is no parking in the village for tourists, so park in the large car park that is well signed on the way into the village. There will be plenty tourists here!

Bamburgh Castle is worth spending time as is Alnwick and its gardens. The tearoom in Ford & Etal just inland is great for lunch. You must walk on the fantastic beaches here. Personally, I prefer this to a day in Durham.