Wonderful
wilderness  |
Holy Island or Lindisfarne is a wilderness location - a place of mystery, escape
and solitude - which boasts a diversity of wildlife habitats.
The island
is a fantastic sanctuary for wildlife and a great place to watch birds and go
rock pooling. | | Lindisfarne - diverse habitats |
Sitting on the top of the easterly section of the Whin Sill, this small
island is separated from the mainland by a narrow causeway which is covered by
water at high tide.
Golden beaches, blue seas and a vast array of wildlife
are some of the highlights of a trip to this natural treasure trove. Rock
pooling Holy
Island boasts one of the most stunning beaches in Britain, and some of the best
rock pools in the whole country.
Rock pools provide protection for marine
creatures from the action of the waves and from drying out for a wide range of
creatures. Rock poolers on Holy Island can expect to find crabs, sponges,
anemones, starfish and pipe fish, if they know where to look and what to search
out. Another good place to look for marine life is the 'strandline', where
you may be lucky to make some unusual finds. But remember, you'll need to
be prepared to get your hands dirty and start turning over the seaweed that gets
washed up on the shore if you want to see marine life at its best. Look
out for the shell cases of crabs, trapped in the seaweed, as well as creatures
such as sea urchins.  Bird
watching
Holy Island has a rich diversity of marine and bird life, especially
on its shorelines.
In winter about 50,000 birds visit the island and
its mudflats, including Wigeons and Geese - making this a real treat for twitchers.
Bird watchers should also look out for Ringed Plovers, Redshanks, Turnstones
and Oystercatchers. Roots of Christianity  Holy
Island is important as one of the seats of early Christianity.
Lindisfarne
Priory is the site of one of the most important early centres of Christianity
in Anglo-Saxon England.
In the 7th Century, Aidan and his monks sought
solace and retreat here, establishing their church and a monastery on the island
in 635AD.
Another of Holy Island's most distinctive features is Lindisfarne
Castle. Perched atop a rocky crag, the castle was originally a Tudor fort
which was converted into a private house by Edwin Lutyens in 1903. | 
