When on a visit to Northumberland you must visit the Farne Islands. A variety of boat trips depart from the pier at Seahouses. Trips vary from just over 1 hour to 5 hours depending on what you want to see. Altogether there are twenty eight islands or fifteen if you count at high tide.


The Inner Farne - Grace Darling's father was lighthouse keeper at Longstone. Today the island is the home to a colony of Grey Seals. The seals (and there are hundreds of them) swim up close to the boats so don't forget your camera!.

Staple Island - During May to August you will find many nesting birds here and perhaps the biggest attraction is the large number of puffins, there are thousands of them. It is possible to land here in the mornings and see these wonderful birds in their natural habitat. Other birds nesting include pipits, eiders, kittiwakes, terns, shags, oyster catchers and cormorants.

All in all the great dolerite rocks are home to seventeen species of birds, which perch on th cliff tops. With so many of them, the rocks are extremely noisy and the scene resembles something from Alfred Hitchcock. As the birds are higher than you, it is advisable to wear a hat!.

Trips run from early April until late October. For most people this is their first chance to glance a puffin but please note that by mid August every one of them leaves the island on mass and fly out to sea.

The hightlight of the season for me is around mid October when although the boats can no longer land, the seal pups are born. On my last visit some of the pups were just a couple of hours old. Another must for your camera!.