SKOMER ISLAND
At 720 acres in size, Skomer is the largest of the Pembrokeshire islands. It became an island at the end of the last Ice Age, around 12000 years ago, when sea level rises isolated it from the mainland
At 720 acres in size, Skomer is the largest of the Pembrokeshire islands. It became an island at the end of the last Ice Age, around 12000 years ago, when sea level rises isolated it from the mainland
Evidence of human habitation can be dated to between 5000 and 2000 years ago, and Iron Age remains can be seen all around the Island. The remains of huts, fields and cairns (possibly burial cairns) on Skomer are some of the most complete and untouched remains of this period in the whole of Europe. If you’d like to take a trip to Skomer we’d love for you to join us on one of our Skomer and Ramsey Island boat trips.
Skomer is run by the Wildlife Trust. The island is an important breeding colony for both Manx Shearwaters and Atlantic Puffin with some of the largest populations in Britain. It is probably best known for its puffins and, at last count, 34,796 were recorded during the breeding season.
Skomer also has somewhere in the region of 360,000 pairs of Manx shearwaters, making it the largest colony in the world for this burrow nesting seabird. Their eerie call as they return to their island burrows at night earned Skomer the name ‘The island of lost souls”.
In spring and early summer the Pembrokeshire islands come alive with a riot of colours as coastal flowers such as thrift, squill and sea campion come into bloom and Skomer has, arguably, one of the best wildflower displays in Britain.
In conservation terms Skomer is very important, being both a National Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest as well as a marine SAC (Special Area of Conservation). It is also surrounded by a Marine Nature Reserve, one of only three in the UK, for its rich underwater flora and fauna which is of international importance. It is home to more than a third of all British seaweed species, over 100 different sponges and 40 species of anemone and soft coral.
