I’ve made no secret of the fact that I absolutely adore puffins. A lot of my trips this year were organized to be able to visit some of the best puffin-spotting locations around the country. One of the best places to see seabirds in Britain is the Farne Islands, in Northumberland. I’ve loved my trips exploring the Northumberland coast. Whether you’re wanting to explore the Farne Islands or spot puffins, gannets, guillemots, razorbills, and so many more – here’s my guide to the Farne Islands!
Getting to the Farne Islands
The Farne Islands are owned by the National Trust, but are only accessible by a boat trip with one of a few external companies. You can find out all the information on the National Trust Farne Islands website.
I booked my Farne Islands trip (3-hour Inner Farne Landing Trip) with Billy Shiels Boat Trips, which cost £30 for one adult. Note that National Trust charges a landing fee to land on the islands, which is payable separately. The National Trust has a kiosk at the harbor in Seahouses, where you can pay the landing fee or show your NT membership card, and get a wristband allowing entry onto the Farne Islands.
The boat trips to the Farne Islands leave from Seahouses, on the Northumberland coast. There is some parking available at the harbor. But I recommend using the large Northumberland County Council car park just a few minutes’ walk away, as it’s huge and you hopefully won’t have any issues finding a spot to park – there were plenty of spaces at the back of the overflow car park when I got there mid-afternoon on a sunny Saturday.
A Boat Trip Around the Farne Islands
Our boat trip set off right on time at 2pm. I recommend getting a seat on one of the sides of the boat, as it’ll be easier to take photos – but most people get up and move around for this anyway. We sailed past Inner Farne and Staple Island, before heading around the Outer Islands.
We saw LOADS of seabirds here – I can’t even explain how amazing this is for wildlife spotting and bird watching! While we saw lots of puffins from the cliffs on the islands, we also saw gannets, guillemots, razorbills, shags, cormorants, fulmars, and kittiwakes (I’m sure I’m missing some others).
One of the highlights for me was seeing a bridal guillemot. Only about 5-6% of guillemots have this unique white marking around their eye (it looks like they’re wearing white glasses). So it was a real treat to see one!
We also passed the red and white lighthouse at Longstone. This lighthouse was the home of Grace Darling and her father, the lighthouse keeper. In September 1838, a ship was wrecked off the island, and Grace and her father set out in a rowing boat to rescue survivors of the wreck. She was awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery – her story is shared in the RNLI museum in Bamburgh.
I loved getting to see so many seals here! There were so many just chilling on the rocks.
Exploring Inner Farne
Our boat landed on Inner Farne at 3:40pm, where we had 1 hour onshore to explore the island. There is a small church here, St. Cuthbert’s Chapel, which was part of a large monastic complex and dates to the 14th century. There is also Prior Castell’s Tower, which was originally built to defend the island – now it’s home to the NT rangers who care for the islands. There’s also a small visitor center, with info panels about the history of Inner Farne and bird sightings/tallies.
But of course, the real reason for visiting the Farne Islands: puffins! You can walk across the island and see the seabirds around the cliffs – I thought the best photography opportunities for puffins were near the lighthouse. There are a lot of nesting seabirds on the ground across the island, so make sure to stick to the designated paths.
What can I say? The Farne Islands are a puffin-lovers dream. And getting to see so many puffins on Inner Farne was an absolute bucket list moment for me.
I have an unbelievable number of photos of puffins from this trip. But I’ll leave it there for now.
We set sail from Inner Farne at 4:40pm, and arrived back to Seahouses at 5pm. This was right on schedule for our 3-hour trip, but I really felt like the day flew by. We had commentary on the boat trip throughout the day, plus the crew were really great at identifying seabirds (such as the bridal guillemot).
What to Bring to the Farne Islands
If you’re planning on visiting the Farne Islands (and you should!!), there are a few things I recommend bringing with you for the trip.
- Binoculars – for bird watching!!
- Camera – to capture all the cute puffin pics you can!
- Hat – to keep you warm but also less messy in case a bird poops on your head
- Snacks/water – there’s nowhere to buy food or drinks, so come prepared
- Rain jacket, gloves, and warm clothes – it can be chilly with the wind on board
Planning Your Trip
The Farne Islands are accessed from Seahouses. It’s easiest to get here by car, as the nearest train station is Chathill – 5 miles away. I always book my train tickets online in advance on Trainline. Seahouses is served by the X18 bus, which runs between Newcastle and Berwick-upon-Tweed. If you’re flying, Newcastle Airport is the closest – I always use Skyscanner to book flights. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.
Seahouses has several hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering cottages available. There is also a hostel here, too, which is run by a Christian charity. You can search for places to stay below!
This trip to the Farne Islands in Northumberland was one of the best puffin experiences I’ve had. And trust me, that’s saying a lot! (Lunga on the Treshnish Isles is up there, too.) If you’re interested in spotting seabirds, or just want a boat trip out to see the islands, this is a fantastic place to visit. I hope this guide helps planning your trip to the Farne Islands!
Have you been to the Farne Islands before? What was your experience like?
You might also like my posts:
Isle of Mull Daytrip: Staffa and Puffin-Watching on Lunga
Exploring Northumberland: A Coastal Road Trip Itinerary
Why You Should Visit Alnwick, Northumberland
A 6-Day Itinerary for Hiking Hadrian’s Wall
All of my England posts!
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[…] reasons to stop at Seahouses is to take a trip out to the Farne Islands. You can read all about my visit to the Farne Islands on a later trip! These islands are some of the best places for birdwatching in the whole country, […]