About Islandeering
Hi and welcome to Islandeering Islandeering is for people who want adventure in Britain’s wild blue spaces – our rivers, coast, lakes, canals and islands. You will find amazing walks, paddles and swims in the UK’s most special places, those recognised for outstanding natural beauty, incredible geology or special and abundant wildlife.
More About UsWe continuously find new islands, rivers, lochs, canals and coast to walk, SUP and swim in and meet plenty of great folks along the way. Join our community to get new routes and adventures, latest blogs and news by using the email box below. Tune in also to our Facebook and Instagram pages to see where we are going next.
image: Skokholm by Peter Hurford is licenced under CC BY 2.0
Key Facts
- Location: Pembrokeshire
- Size: 106 ha
- Access: landing trips only for those staying overnight
- Map: OS Explorer OL36
- Departure point: Martins Haven, SA62 3BJ. What3Words bucked.inherits.tall. Grid ref. SM 7603 0913
Lying in the Celtic Sea four kilometres off the south-west coast of Pembrokeshire, Skokholm has a real sense of remoteness with its tall sandstone cliffs and wild landscape surrounded by seas packed with porpoises, dolphins and Atlantic grey seals. In spring and summer tens of thousands of nesting seabirds return here to their island home. The island has a high point of fifty-six metres. Day visitors are not permitted, only those booked into the island’s accommodation, so there are never more than twenty-six people on the island. Owners, the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales, claim ‘that’s ten acres of space for every visitor’. It makes a perfect retreat for birdwatchers, artists, walkers, photographers and anyone seeking a relaxing getaway. If you’re not staying on the island, non-landing boat trips are available which sail around the bases of the island’s cliffs.
Best things to do on Skokholm Island
- Night walks to see the bird colonies
- Volunteer with the wildlife wardens
- Watch the sunset from Skokholm lighthouse
Skokholm Island Accommodation
Skokholm Island is a wild and beautiful place to stay. Off-grid style accommodation is available for limited numbers for a short time each year. There are a mix of single, twin and double rooms in the renovated cowsheds, cottage and the warden’s old quarters. Visitors can choose either three, four or seven night stays, with a self-catering kitchen, no showers or heating and a small shop selling basic foodstuffs. Every night there is a bird log where visitors can share what they have seen. You can wander the island to your heart’s content, visit several wildlife hides or chill out in the library. On clear nights, those who like astronomy will be treated to a view of the Milky Way. Book accommodation on Skokholm Island through the Welsh Wildlife Trust – link – https://www.welshwildlife.org/visit/skokholm-island
How to get to Skokholm Island
Landing trips on Skokholm Island are only available to those who have booked into accommodation overnight. Boats leave Martins Haven at 7.30 am on Friday and 9 am on a Monday only.
Skokholm Island birds
The high cliffs and isolated nature of the island make it a haven for breeding seabirds. In spring and summer huge populations of seabirds descend, including around five thousand puffins returning to their burrows, while the cliffs and ledges are decorated with thousands of razorbills and guillemots and up to one hundred pairs of fulmars. Together with Skomer it is also home to the largest concentration of Manx shearwaters in the world, with an estimated forty-five thousand breeding pairs on this island alone. Around five thousand storm petrels join them in returning to their burrows to feed their chicks in the nightly spectacle throughout the summer. Night walks with infra-red equipment to see the birds for those staying overnight are a once-in-a-lifetime experience and visitors can also help with the nightly bird ringing projects. Skokholm is also perfectly situated to attract passage migrants and in spring and autumn warblers, flycatchers, pipits and thrushes amongst many others may be seen. Skokholm is the site of the UK’s first ever bird observatory built in 1933 by the pioneering ornithologist Ronald Lockley.
Watch a sunsets from Skokholm Lighthouse
A magnificent lighthouse stands at the south-west tip of Skokholm. Now home to the wardens as well as visiting researchers it forms a triangle of protection for ships around Milford Haven along with the lighthouses at South Bishop and the Smalls. The views from the top are incredible, particularly watching the vibrant colours of a Pembrokeshire sunset.
