Farne Islands

The Farnes are a group of islands of the Northumberland coat, most get to them from Seahouses by boat. At the nearest point they are around 2 miles off the coast. The largest islands are Staple and Inner Farne, they are the breeding home to tens of thousands of seabirds, including around 60,000 pairs of puffins, thousands of kittiwake, arctic tern, eider duck, shags and guillemot, hundreds of razorbills. There are about 20 species here.

Staple Island Sea Stacks Andy

In the waters surrounding the Farnes are around 6,000 Atlantic Grey Seals with their pups born every year during September-November. Most of them take refuge on Brownsman Island which has not public access, but boat trips on good seafaring days may give views from the boat.

There are also a number of wrecks around the Farnes popular with diving enthusiasts.

The Farnes consist of 15-28 islands, including several which are only visible at low tide, they are constructed of volcanic igneous rock on the eastern edge of a geological formation called the Whin Sill. After the end of the Ice Age, you could have walked from these islands across to the mainland, but rising sea levels cut them off, making them a great place to enjoy wildlife.

Birds, what and where to see them

Around 20 different species, as many as 100,000 birds in total, make their home here during the breeding season every year.

• Pufins.  See them on Inner Farne and Staple Island. Puffins are the most numerous breeding seabird on the Farnes. They use sharp claws to dig burrows in the soil where they lay their eggs.
• Arctic, Common and Sandwich tern. Mostly found on Inner Farne. Each species has a favourite bit of the island where it chooses to nest - the Arctic terns prefer the grassy banks, paths and courtyard around St Cuthbert's Chapel and the information centre.
• Razorbill and guillemot. See them on Inner Farne and Staple Island. Like puffin, these are members of the Auk family of seabirds. They nest in massive colonies on the rocky cliff tops.  Guillemots are the more slender of the two. Razorbills are slightly smaller with a white-striped stocky bill.
• Shag.  See them on Inner Farne. Like guillemot and razorbill, shag nest on rocky cliff tops. They forage for grasses, seaweed and anything else they can grab, to construct large nests, which they guard noisily throughout the summer. Often confused with cormorant, shag are smaller, with green-tinted feathers and a tuft on their head in spring.
• Eider duck. See them on Inner Farne. Britain's fastest flying duck and one that prefers the coast.
• Kittiwake. Nest on tiny ledges on cliff faces.
• Fulmar. Nest on isolated cliff tops
• Greater and lesser black-backed gull
• Rock pipit. Nest around the lighthouse on Inner Farne.
• Cormorant. Nest on some of the smaller, rocky islands.
• Gannet. Nest on Bass Rock off the Scottish coast but come south in search of food.
• Turnstone. Nest hundreds of miles to the north but alongside
• Oystercatcher.  Oystercatcher and ringed plover are the only two wader birds who breed on the islands. Unlike many of the seabirds, who migrate or live in the North Sea after raising their chicks, they can be found here all year round. Look out for the oystercatcher's bright orange eye, beak and legs standing out from the seaweed on the rocky shoreline.
• Ringed plover. Nest on the beach on Inner Farne.
• Passage birds in spring and autumn may be seen for example Bluthroat (rare).

What else is there:-

• Range of butterflies and moths
• Porpoise and dolphins (occasionally)
• The islands' plant life includes
  • scurvy grass to the scarce fiddleneck, an invader from California, introduced by the lighthouse keepers many years ago, and now growing wild. Flowering from May to August
  • borage
  • sea campion with its white flowers in summer
  • thrift flowering from April to August
  • silverweed flowering from May to September
  • sorrel flowering from May to July
• Fourteen hundred years ago, St Cuthbert came to live on the island for peace and solitude, and the small chapel built in his memory can be visited.
• Peel tower a lookout and military base from 1500, that was also its first lighthouse (fire on roof) now the base of NT wardens
• Inner Farne Lighthouse, Farne Islands, Northumberland
• Longstone Lighthouse, Farne Islands, Northumberland
• Staple Island Lighthouse, Farne Islands, Northumberland 

Inner Farne and Lighthouse  Mick Knapton

The boat trips

Several operators run trips, see under access in the grid  below, and there is a variety of choices including:-

• Tours available of both Inner Farne and Staple Island.  The Inner Farne tour lasts approximately two and a half hours including one hour spent on the island. The tour includes a cruise around all the Farne Islands, viewing the sea birds on the cliff faces, visiting the Grey Seal colonies and also follows the route Grace Darling took her heroic rescue in 1838.
• During the breeding season (May 1- July 31) it is possible to make a morning landing on Staple Island and the trips leave at 10am and 11am. This trip lasts approximately two and a half hours including an hour on Staple Island itself.  The trip also includes sailing round all the other islands including Longstone and Inner Farne and visiting the Grey Seal colonies at several vantage points with full commentary en route.
• There is a also a whole day option including visiting two islands.

Its worth comparing the offerings from different operators to match your own interest.

Further information Grid

Location:	Farne Islands, Northumberland
Ceremonial County:	Northumberland
Grid Reference:	NU230370   Explorer 316
Map Link:	StreetMap
Aerial photo:
Route(s):
Best Times to Visit:	June and July
E-mail:	farneislands@nationaltrust.org.uk
Website:	National Trust then search for Days out Farne Islands
Other useful websites:	See boat companies under Access below Wiki Seahouses.org Visit Northumberland (council)  North Northumberland online Dive information site on the farnes Farne Island Boat Trips
Nearby Locations:	Inner Farne Lighthouse Longstone Lighthouse Staple Island Lighthouse
Other Relevant pages:

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