The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the coast of Northumberland, reached by road causeway. It has an ancient priory, a castle tastefully decorated by Lutyens, and wildlife on its quiet sandhills. Officially it's just "Holy Island" but that's also the name of other places. In 2021 its population was 150, but on fine summer weekends when the tide is out it can feel like half of Newcastle is here.

Beal is a tiny settlement on the mainland where the access road branches off A1. It's described here, firstly because some businesses called "Lindisfarne" are here not on the island. And secondly you could be unable to cross, if you were delayed on the journey and the tidal access window had closed.

The idiot box is the local name for the little refuge hut on the causeway, looking like a signal box on a heritage railway. Every few weeks, someone fails to heed the tide times and gets stranded. The good news is that they only have five hours to crouch here enduring the recriminations of their family. The bad news, once the tide recedes, is that their vehicle and everything in it are utterly ruined.

Understand

Lindisfarne Castle

Her wæron reðe forebecna cumene ofer Norðhymbra land, ⁊ þæt folc earmlic bregdon, þæt wæron ormete þodenas ⁊ ligrescas, ⁊ fyrenne dracan wæron gesewene on þam lifte fleogende.

- Fiery dragons put on an aeronautics display, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, but the Vikings did the real damage.

A monastery was founded here in 634 AD by Aidan from Iona; its most famous abbot or bishop was St Cuthbert 684-686. The beautifully illuminated Lindisfarne Gospels were inscribed around 715-720. In 793 the Vikings raided the abbey, tearing off the Gospels' bejewelled cover, and also raided Jarrow. It's believed these raiders were Norwegians bent on revenge, as monks from Lindisfarne and Jarrow had christianised their homeland and torn down pagan shrines. Such raids however were sporadic, and the monks hung on for another 80 years. Meanwhile, Danish Vikings were encroaching further south, and these were not content to grab a pig and rush back to sea, but seized the fertile land as their own. They founded the city of Jorvik — nowadays York — and overthrew the Kingdom of Northumbria. The monks of Lindisfarne fled in 875, taking their treasures, which are now variously in Durham, York and the British Museum in London. Amongst those monks was St Cuthbert, who'd been dead for a century, but everyone marvelled at what good shape he was in.

The Normans re-established the monastery in 1093, but it was only a priory outpost of Durham, and never again the seat of a bishop. Lindisfarne did however become a pilgrimage destination, as people came to visit the grave of St Cuthbert, where he wasn't. This continued after the monastery was dissolved in 1536 and its buildings fell into ruin. It continues to this day: Northern Cross is one large organised event at Easter. Half-a-dozen groups start from different sites such Melrose Abbey, to meet at Beal on Good Friday and squelch across together.

The main attractions of the island today are the monastery ruins and castle. Village centre and the main car park are busy in summer, but a short walk away are quiet sand hills. The island website has visitor information.

Get in

First look up the tides, which regulate your access and the opening hours of businesses on the island. The causeway is impassable from two hours before to three hours after high tide. The best source for safe crossing times is Northumberland County Council, posted two years in advance. Easytide gives free predictions seven days in advance - you might want these for kayaking and the like, using Berwick as the reference port.

If the water is just lapping onto the causeway and it looks like you can probably make it, then you definitely can't. There are hidden dips, the road's lowest section is 3.5 m below mean sea level, and the tide rises by up to 5.5 m. Northeasterly winds drive a surge in sea level so it can be higher. Factor in the height of your vehicle to compute how much of it would remain visible after the muddy waters closed in.

By road follow A1 to the turn-off at Beal. Buses between Newcastle and Berwick (the nearest railway station) stop at Beal. From there it's roughly two miles to the start of the causeway, where the council also post the tide times but have closed the car-park and layby, so any motorist drawing up to consult them is liable to get rear-shunted. It's a mile to cross, then two miles along the Snook — the peninsula — to the village. The lane is narrow with no sidewalk, watch out for hikers and cyclists. Chare End is the large public car park, don't bring a car into the village unless your accommodation advises they have a space for you.

Borders Bus 477 runs from Berwick-upon-Tweed twice M-Sa, taking 35 min via Haggerston Castle and Beal. It runs at different times each day to match the tides. A day trip is possible in either direction, giving you four hours before return.

"Pilgrim's Way" was how folk got here before the road was built in 1954. Use the road to cross the creek to the "idiot box" — a cheat, as historically you had to wade across. The walking route then strikes off across the mudflats, clearly marked with tall poles. It takes a more direct line to the village bypassing the Snook, so the tidal portion is about 3 miles, and the tidal window is less than four hours. Allow two hours to cross, as it's slow going through the mud, and you must start it on a falling not a rising tide. There are two refuge platforms along the way, which you might ascend for the view.

Get around

Park at Chare End and walk. In 2024 this car park charged £6.50 for 3 hours, £7.50 for 4 hours, £8.50 for 5 hours and £10 for all day. There's no size limit so it accepts coaches and motorhomes, but you must remove your vehicle within 72 hours.

See

The refuge on the causeway

• 1 Lindisfarne Priory, TD15 2RX, ☏ +44 1289 389200. Apr-Sep: daily 10AM-5PM; Nov-Mar: Sa Su 10AM-4PM. Atmospheric ruin with ornate stonework. St Mary's Church has been restored and remains active Anglican. Adult £11.80, conc £10.40, child £7.20, English Heritage free. (updated Aug 2024)
• Lifeboats Museum is opposite St Mary's in a stone boathouse. A lifeboat was stationed here from 1865 to 1967, when rescue helicopters took up the role.
• Lindisfarne Heritage Centre, Marygate TD15 2SD, ☏ +44 1289 389004. Mar-Oct: daily 10AM-4PM. Display of island heritage, with gift shop. Adult £4, child £2. (updated Aug 2024)
• St Cuthbert's on Prior Lane was built as a Presbyterian church in 1891 for the fisher folk. The Presbyterians in England merged with the Congregationalists in 1972 to be the United Reform Church. It's still an active church but a dwindling flock means it's now mostly a cultural centre.
• 2 St Cuthbert's island is a tidal islet off the south shore where yer man dwelt awhile. A chapel was built over his hermitage in the 13th century, and a wooden cross now stands in the ruin. You need the bottom of the tide to splosh across, and don't linger.
• Sunrise is best from the south tip of the island by the priory grounds; it comes up from behind the castle. If there's a wisp of sea mist it's a scene you could roll film credits over
• Osborne's Fort is a scrappy ruin at the west headland of the bay and anchorage. It was an artillery position built in 1671, and together with the guns of the castle it guarded the bay against Dutch incursions. It's not known who Osborne was.
• 3 Lindisfarne Castle, TD15 2SH, ☏ +44 1289 389244. A fort was built on an outcrop in 1549, using masonry taken from the dissolved priory. When Scotland united with England the threat from the north disappeared and it was left derelict. From 1901 it was owned by Edward Hudson, a publishing magnate and the owner of Country Life magazine. He had it refurbished in Arts and Crafts style by Sir Edwin Lutyens, so it's a remarkably stylish interior, while Gertrude Jekyll created the walled garden. It passed through various hands until acquired by the National Trust in 1944. Opening times are tide dependent, but any day in summer that it's possible to get here, you'll find it open. Adult £10, child £5, NT / NTS free. (updated Aug 2024)
• Lime kilns 200 yards east of the castle were busy in the 19th century, using coal and locally-quarried limestone to produce quicklime for cement.
• 4 The Snook is the west peninsula of the island, a good area for bird-watching, with a free car park.
• 5 Haggerston Castle would probably never have been beautified by Lutyens even if it hadn't kept catching fire. The de Hagardestons came over with William the Conqueror and built this bastion to stamp their authority over a bog. After the last fire in 1911 much was demolished, leaving only a tottering tower, rotunda and stable block. But what it now has is a caravan park, kiddy slides, golf, camping, rooms, live shows, bars, and an inexhaustible supply of burgers and fries. It could save the holiday.

Do

Lindisfarne Priory

• Birdwatching: much of the island and tidal flats are protected as part of the Lindisfarne national nature reserve, as this is an important habitat wintering birds. Watch for Brent Goose, Widgeon and Teal.
• Seals: Grey seals (aka Atlantic seals, Halichoerus grypus) often haul out on the mudflats Apr-Sep, mournfully serenading passers-by. In winter they retreat to their breeding grounds on the Farne Islands, visible to the southeast.
• Book by the Sea is a free book trade by St Mary's, accessible 24 hours.

Eat

• Seafood Bar is a mobile takeaway at Chare End car park.
• A handful of cafes are in village centre.

Drink

• The Ship Inn on Marygate is open daily 11:30AM-11PM.
• 793 Spirits is a gin micro-distillery within the Ship Inn.
• Lindisfarne Mead is brewed from honey. The shop also sells rum and beer, but these are made in Alnwick.

Sleep

• Manor House Hotel, Market Square TD15 2RX (next to Priory), ☏ +44 1289 389207. Convenient place with restaurant in the village square, dog-friendly. B&B double £150. (updated Aug 2024)
• Crown & Anchor, Market Place TD15 2RX, ☏ +44 1289 389215. Friendly pub open all year with rooms and good grub. B&B double £130. (updated Aug 2024)
• Holy Island Accommodation, Marygate TD15 2SD, ☏ +44 7368 913851. Comfy B&B with four rooms en suite. B&B double £120. (updated Aug 2024)
• Ship Inn on Marygate also has rooms.
• 1 Lindisfarne Hotel, Green Lane TD15 2SQ, ☏ +44 1289 385820. Simple place, more like a B&B, open Mar-Oct. Friendly helpful host. B&B double £120. (updated Aug 2024)
• 2 Belvue Guesthouse, Chare Ends TD15 2SE, ☏ +44 1289 389500, info@holy-island.uk. Glowing reviews for this immaculate well-designed guesthouse, open Apr-Nov. B&B double £120. (updated Aug 2024)

Mainland

"But next time you visit, check the tides!" — St Cuthbert was bishop 684-686

• 3 Lindisfarne Inn, Beal TD15 2PD, ☏ +44 1289 381223. Comfy efficient place on A1 at the turn-off for the island. B&B double £150. (updated Aug 2024)
• Eat and Sleep Lindisfarne is a cafe next to Lindisfarne Inn with rooms, a bunkhouse and a grumpy owner.
• 4 Barn at Beal, Beal TD15 2PB, ☏ +44 1289 540044. Clean friendly campsite and restaurant. Tent £18, caravan £36. (updated Aug 2024)
• Haggerston Castle has a large caravan park and rooms, see above.
• Berwick-upon-Tweed has lots more accommodation.

Connect

As of Aug 2024, Lindisfarne has a basic mobile signal from Three, and 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone; this extends along the causeway and lane to A1. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

• Berwick upon Tweed on the border has retained its town walls and pleasant Victorian centre.
• The Berwickshire coast is rugged, with scenic fishing villages such as Eyemouth and St Abbs.
• St Cuthbert's Way is a 62-mile (100-km) hiking trail from Melrose via Jedburgh, Kirk Yetholm (north terminus of the Pennine Way), Wooller and Beal, finally across the Pilgrims' Way to Lindisfarne.
• Bamburgh to the south has a sturdy castle visible from Lindisfarne, and boat trips visit the Farne Islands.
• Alnwick has a grand castle. Alnmouth is its small harbour.