| « Previous | Home | Next » | billy shiel's glad tidings 30 October, 2006 |
 photos: sue and david lindley the farne islands are a group of rocky islands 2 miles off the northumbrian coast that are today worlds renowned as a bird sanctuary: famous for it's large population of puffins, it is also home to many other sea birds such as guillemots, razorbills, arctic terns, shags and cormorants. owned and managed for the nation by the national trust, you have get to them via one of the several boating companies that are based in the seaside port of seahouses, the most famous of which is billy shiel who has been ferrying customers over since 1918. inner farne, the largest of the islands was, in 678AD, the home to st cuthbert, one of englands earliest and possibly most important christian saints. how he put up with the arctic terns i dont know - they lay their eggs on the ground and if anyone gets within a few feet they swoop up and deliver a peck to the head with their razor sharp beaks! perhaps he saw that as an alternative to the hair shirt or something! today there is a small church on the island dedicated to st cuthbert, built in the 1300's. the next week or so's photos will be largely dedicated to the inhabitants of these islands. | |
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Posted by davidlindley Archived under: england |
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