We left for Seahouses, Northumberland, which turned out to
be a good place for fish and chips and not much else. There was a good choice
of boat trips though. Not being much of a sailor and usually preferring to be
on dry land I felt really apprehensive when the wind started to whip up. We
chose the 12.15 boat to the Farne Islands and a landing on Inner Farne. The
trip left on catamaran, Serenity.
The Farne Islands are a scattering of rocky outcrops within
4 ½ miles off the mainland and owned by the National Trust. They form a nature
reserve attracting many nesting seabirds.
The boat took us out fairly quickly with the captain giving
us a running commentary on the wildlife. We drew up close to Staple Island
covered in guillemots. The smell was awful but what a spectacle! There were
puffins flying by with sand eels hanging from their beaks.
On Longstone Island is a lighthouse and small cottage
associated with Grace Darling, famous for rescuing shipwrecked sailors with her
father in a fishing cobble in 1838.
Another island nearby had sunbathing seals and we were
brought close for photo shoots.
Arriving at Inner Farne we were helped onto the tiny jetty
by a young National trust representative who welcomed us. Then all hell let
loose. As we walked up onto the island we were surrounded and mobbed by arctic
terns, noisily pecking at our hats – it’s well advised to wear one. Red seemed
to be the worst colour to wear as they attracted more hostility in our group at
least. There were a few bloodied visitors, an ear and a nose but there were few
places to escape the frenzies.
The chapel was peaceful with a beautiful stained glass
window. On top of the remains of an earlier building from the 7th
century it was built in 1370 and later renovated in 1884. The Farne Islands in the 7th
century were home to St. Aiden and then St. Cuthbert who later became Bishop of
Lindisfarne. Cuthbert introduced special laws in 676 protecting the eider ducks
and other nesting seabirds- first of its kind.
From 1255 there was a monastic cell of mostly 2 but up to 6
monks on Little Farne but in 1536 Henry V111 dissolved it!
We only stayed inside for a little while as it seemed wrong
to hog the limited indoor space.
Head down, we walked the island up to its edges where it
seemed every useable space was being utilised for nesting birds. Terns left
their precious eggs to harass the visitors. Only the placid eider duck sat
close to the path intent on its brood in the nest and seemingly oblivious to
people.
Puffins were in large groups, colourful and comical. Across
the grass burrows were dug like rabbit warrens. Occasionally a puffin stood at
the entrance only to be bullied by gulls. We saw one pulled out by marauding
gulls intent on stealing their chicks or hard earned sand eels. There are about
37,000 puffin pairs.
There are no food facilities on the island and finding a
safe spot for a picnic at this time of year is difficult. Bob wouldn’t eat his
sandwich and I ate mine a nibble at a time, keeping it hidden from the gulls.
If poo didn’t drop on it from above, even a waddling duck seemed intent on
stealing a meal off you. Despite this it was a spectacle not to be missed
especially the endearing puffins.
The National Trust wardens live on the island during the
breeding season in Prior Castell’s tower built in 1500 and thought to mark the
site of Cuthbert’s cell. Marking all the nests are stones from the beach with
numbers painted on them.
After an hour it was time to leave and the weather looked
set to change. As we came into Seahouses the rain came and we were glad to be
on the shore as visibility was worsening.
This was a fantastic trip but we were lucky with the
weather!
We drove home getting back in time for Morris Dancing
Practice.
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