United Kingdom
Skomer Island
A treeless plateau rising from Pembrokeshire waters, thick with seabirds and wildflowers.
The boat approaches a flat-topped island wrapped in red sandstone cliffs, its grassland interior carpeted in spring bluebells and sea thrift. Tens of thousands of puffins, razorbills, and guillemots claim every ledge and burrow, filling the air with constant calls. This is Wales at its most elemental—wind, cliff, and an overwhelming abundance of seabird life concentrated on 720 acres of roadless terrain.
What draws people here
- —Britain's largest puffin colony nesting in clifftop burrows
- —carpets of bluebells covering the treeless plateau in spring
- —dramatic red sandstone cliffs dropping straight into tidal waters
- —complete absence of roads, buildings, and human settlement
Island character
nature•wildlife•islands
Island rhythm
morning
Arrive by boat as puffins return from fishing, their beaks full of silver fish, and explore the island before afternoon winds pick up.
afternoon
Find shelter in the island's few stone walls while watching razorbills dive from clifftops and listening to the constant chatter of guillemot colonies.
night
Last boats depart by evening—the island belongs entirely to its seabirds through the night hours.
Best ways to experience Skomer Island
- 01follow the single footpath circuit around the island's perimeter
- 02scramble down to rocky coves accessible only at low tide
- 03climb to the highest point for panoramic views of the seabird colonies
- 04walk the clifftop sections where puffins nest just meters from the path