Holy Island or Lindisfarne is a tidal island just off the Northumberland coast. Eager to see as much as possible on our camping trip we checked the tide times and headed up the coast and across the causeway.
Holiday makers are consistently caught out by the tide on their way to Lindisfarne. They drive onto the causeway when it looks safe, the tide comes in rapidly and they have to be rescued by helicopter or make use of the refuge which sits on stilts halfway across the road. Even if the causeway looks dry if it’s passed the safe crossing times you best stay put, find a nice B&B or head to the pub. We were fortunate as the tide was almost fully out when we arrived at around 5.30pm and the safe crossing time extended till late in the evening.
Lindisfarne boasts stunning white sandy beaches, a beautiful 16th century castle and a priory which was home to the Lindisfarne Gospels and the site of various Viking attacks. I have very fond memories of Lindisfarne from when I lived in the area, particularly my 16th birthday which was spent flying a stunt kite with good friends and family on a quiet side of the island. Lindisfarne had changed quite a bit since I last visited. The visitor car park has been moved out of the town to keep the streets quiet and, I suspect, the locals happy. We found a spot in the vast car park and wondered into the village, heading towards the harbour where you get a beautiful view of Lindisfarne Castle.
One of the most interesting things about the harbour is the upturned boats which have been converted into sheds and boat houses. These sheds often feature in the foreground of photographers images of the castle and I have taken the same photo so many times but this time I managed to resist! We also found an exhibition about the wildlife on Lindisfarne and watched swallows swoop into a pond from behind the glass of the exhibition centre. I wish I had taken some photos or a video as it was such a lovely thing to see.
As the sun was going down we meandered around the villages pretty streets and towards the Priory. We peered through the gates at the historical building but decided not to return for a visit as the ticket price of over £5 per adult seemed a little high.
We sneaked a couple of photos before heading back to the car and then to our camp site on the mainland.