From 25 March, visitor boats will be able to land on the Farne Islands for the first time in two years, with bookings now open with boat trip operators.
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The Farne Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland, England. The islands were used by hermits intermittently from the 7th century.
By the 18th century, picnics were being held on the Farne Islands. A picnic was held in 1778 on Pinnacle Island by Dr Kayne and his house party which consisted of ten persons and one dog.
The Farne Islands are a National Nature Reserve and are an internationally important home to approximately 200,000 seabirds, including the charismatic puffin, Arctic terns, and kittiwakes.
The birds return to the islands, just off the Northumberland coast at Seahouses, to breed each year from the end of March, departing once their chicks are fully fledged, at the end of the summer.
The colony was hit hard by bird flu in 2022, with rangers collecting over 6,000 dead birds, and although the disease was also present last year, there was a reduction of 39%, with 3,647 birds collected by the ranger team, giving some hope that immunity is building within the colony.
With the islands due to re-open on 25 March, visitors will once again be able to book a landing trip with one of the boat companies that operate out of the harbour at Seahouses to get unparalleled close-up views of the incredible wildlife that inhabits the islands.
On arrival on the harbour at Seahouses, visitors booked onto a boat trip are asked to visit the National Trust admissions point to purchase a landing ticket or to show their membership cards.
As well as the fascinating wildlife, visitors will also be able to get closer to the cultural history on the island, which has links with early Christianity and St Cuthbert, with access inside the beautiful St Cuthbert’s Chapel and exterior views of the Inner Farne lighthouse and the Pele Tower.  
Inner Farne will be the only island to open to visitor landings this year whilst National Trust trials limited opening. ■