THE ISLANDS

All the Pembrokeshire Islands are accessible by boat with trips from various locations around the coast. Grassholm (owned by the RSPB) is the home of an expanding colony of gannets, the third largest in the world with 32,000 pairs. “One of most outstanding wildlife experiences in the world today.” Skomer has iron age remains, victorian farm buildings and flowers and birds in abundance with the largest colony of puffins in southern Britain and in season 100,000 pairs of Manx shearwaters. Peak time for Puffins is May-July. Skokholm also has large colonies of birds, particularly Manx shearwaters and petrels. Its 247 acres is an exceptional island for wildlife, its summer puffin colony being the second largest, after Skomer, in the south of Britain, its wild flowers being exceptional in May/ June. Grey seals are there all year but the absence of good breeding sites reduces the number of pups born. Ramsey Island is the largest stronghold for the grey seal in southern Britain and upwards of 600 pups are born from the late summer onwards, on the beaches and in caves. Thousand Island Expeditions 01437-721721 are the only company that will land you on the island but others will take you around it.