The Farne Islands are located off the northeast coast of Northumberland, England, about 1.5–6 miles east from the coastal town of Seahouses. Although there are 15–20 islands in the Farne Islands group, the exact number you can actually see on any given day depends on the height of the tide.

The Farne Islands are a National Nature Reserve, operated by the National Trust, an independent conservation charity founded in 1895. The organization oversees many of the country’s national heritage properties and open spaces and wants to preserve them for everyone to enjoy.

The Farne Islands are a major bird sanctuary and have become popular for viewing seals, puffins, terns, guillemots, dolphins, and many other types of birds and sea life. Currently, there are no human inhabitants on the Farne Islands, although more than 45,000 pairs of puffins call these islands home, as well as thousands of nesting birds, and several National Trust rangers who care for and protect the islands. Several boat companies organize different types of visitor cruises to the islands year-round from the harbor in Seahouses, weather permitting.

© Brian Clasper

In 2002 and 2003, the islands were closed to visitors as the National Trust tried to limit the impact of bird flu after a number of cases were discovered prior to the peak of the breeding season. Earlier this year two of the boating companies were given permission to restart their trips, and rangers continue to monitor the health of the 200,000 seabirds that stop over on the island for nesting each year.

Some of the bird groups include eider ducks, fulmars, guillemots, razorbills, roseate terns, kittiwakes, lesser black-backed gulls, common terns, Arctic terns, shags, Sandwich terns and many puffins. Inner Farne Island and Staple Island are major bird sanctuaries in the country for about 23 species of breeding seabirds. The first migrating seabirds return to the islands in spring and will depart once chicks are fully fledged at the end of the summer.

Tour boats operate out of the harbor in the town of Schoolhouses. To keep the visitor count lower until the islands are completely free of bird flu, only two boating companies now run public tours, Billy Shiel Farne Islands Boats and Serenity Fane Island Tours. Trips range from the 2.5- to three-hour Inner Farne Tour, including one hour on the Island; a 1.5-hour Grey Seal Cruises with Seabirds; two-hour Puffin Seabird Cruises with seals; 4.5-hour Holy island trips (landing on Holy island for two hours); two-hour sunset trips; one-hour scenic Rib Rides; and, for the more adventurous, there are dive charters and snorkeling trips. Several other boating companies are expected to restart their operations during the summer.

© Brian Clasper

In a typical year, around 45,000 people visit the islands, with many coming in the fall, partly because the islands are one of the most important grey seal pupping sites in England, with more than 2,000 pups born every autumn. Inner Farne island is home to dive-bombing terns, a medieval chapel and a Victorian lighthouse, all accessed by a boardwalk. Historically, the islands have strong links with Celtic Christianity and St. Cuthbert, who lived here in the seventh Century.

“We were waiting a long time for visitors to return to the Farne Islands,” said Laura Knowles, visitor operations and experience manager, National Trust. “We are delighted to welcome them back onto Inner Farne and to share the wonderful wildlife of the island up close once again. The nature experience that this place has to offer really is exceptional. Sail-around tours will also continue to be available for those visitors that want to experience the magic of the islands from the water.”