When I first expressed an interest in going to Skomer, I found out alot of folk I knew had already been. The scary stories of steep climbs and huge queues were a bit off putting. This is just my account of my day on Skomer island Sunday 10th July 2011.
I stayed in Cwmdare which is two hours from Skomer. Skomer is a 6 hour drive from me in Colchester, so when I was asked to do some photography for Aberdare motorbike club I decided to pay Skomer a visit.
I left Cwmdare at 5.15am and arrived at Lockley Lodge car park at 7am. The car park is fairly big, and just at the end of it, there are some steps leading to Lockley Lodge. The lodge itself did not open until 8.30am on a sunday. I got there early, as it is first come, first served on the boats. I was the first person to arrive, but the who worked there told me some mornings there is a queue with 50 people in it by 7.30am some mornings. I found a comfy spot and nodded off for a bit, but folk are really friendly and soon everyone was chatting.
You pay for your boat trip at Lockley Lodge. It's £10. Some mornings they sell tickets just around the corner on the way down to the boat. You can get little maps of the island at the lodge, some gifts and crisps/chocolate and bottles of drink but that's it.
The road going down to the boat is steep, but it only takes maybe 3 minutes to get up it, it's not very far at all, just very steep. There are then approx 30 steps to get to the boat launch place.
When you get on the boat, it's very crowded. It holds 50 people and it TAKES 50 people! Saying that, it's a short 10 minute ride to Skomer. I sat at the back of the boat and got a bit wet, but it was a beautiful day so i didn't mind so much. The man on the boat takes the £8 landing fee (So that's £18 for the day trip)
Approaching the island, I didn't see too many puffins at 10am (A much differrent story at 3pm)
When you get off the boat, the steps look a bit daunting, but they are really not too bad at all. There are approx 6-7 flights of steep steps, but every so often there are viewing places and you can stop when you like. Everyone stopped to take photos and have a rest. I didn't think it was that bad.
At the top there is a little area where they welcome you to the island and give you some safety tips and advice on good areas to go to etc.
The walk up to the farmhouse is not very steep, about 15 minutes walk on bumpy terrain in places and some grass. Along this walk I saw so many puffins, until it becomes a bit more inland and then you don't see any at all.
I walked from the farmhouse to 'the wick' which is about a mile, and worth every step! At the wick, there is a bay with cliffs either side, and the puffins were like Alfred Hitchcocks movie 'The Birds'. They dived in over your head and walked amongst people like they were not there! I had one actually walk across my shoes and get in my camera bag after my lunch! I had to carefully shoo it out! The black backed gulls are also seen here, with Kittiwakes and Guillimots. The Kittiwakes and guillimots were few and a bit further away. They are getting ready to leave I believe.
The baby puffins were emerging from their burrows all cute and fluffy and grey. The black backed gulls were lovely too. They are huge and when one stood near me it was over my knee height!
I had planned to walk around the perimeter, but after two previous heavy days, I was worn out. I saw so much on the small part that I did.
Going back to the boat, you go down the steps and wait on the jetty steps. When you get back, the steep climb to Locley lodge can be rewarded with an ice cream at Lockley Lodge (I discovered they sold ice cream after they put the sign out!)
There is a youth hostel that's very cheap looking over the bay that I was told was very cheap. I didn't go in it so I can't recommend it, but they said it was alright.
So, if you're planning on going, I hope this helps. I had so many questions for folks that went, I didn't like to keep asking and I hope it's helpful if you're planning a trip.
If you haven't been, go. It's a magical place, and the puffins are so cute. Oh...and don't try to stroke them. They look cute, but they bite, and they bite quite badly. One man got bitten and he bled. He bled alot...all day...:nono:
Tori
I stayed in Cwmdare which is two hours from Skomer. Skomer is a 6 hour drive from me in Colchester, so when I was asked to do some photography for Aberdare motorbike club I decided to pay Skomer a visit.
I left Cwmdare at 5.15am and arrived at Lockley Lodge car park at 7am. The car park is fairly big, and just at the end of it, there are some steps leading to Lockley Lodge. The lodge itself did not open until 8.30am on a sunday. I got there early, as it is first come, first served on the boats. I was the first person to arrive, but the who worked there told me some mornings there is a queue with 50 people in it by 7.30am some mornings. I found a comfy spot and nodded off for a bit, but folk are really friendly and soon everyone was chatting.
You pay for your boat trip at Lockley Lodge. It's £10. Some mornings they sell tickets just around the corner on the way down to the boat. You can get little maps of the island at the lodge, some gifts and crisps/chocolate and bottles of drink but that's it.
The road going down to the boat is steep, but it only takes maybe 3 minutes to get up it, it's not very far at all, just very steep. There are then approx 30 steps to get to the boat launch place.
When you get on the boat, it's very crowded. It holds 50 people and it TAKES 50 people! Saying that, it's a short 10 minute ride to Skomer. I sat at the back of the boat and got a bit wet, but it was a beautiful day so i didn't mind so much. The man on the boat takes the £8 landing fee (So that's £18 for the day trip)
Approaching the island, I didn't see too many puffins at 10am (A much differrent story at 3pm)
When you get off the boat, the steps look a bit daunting, but they are really not too bad at all. There are approx 6-7 flights of steep steps, but every so often there are viewing places and you can stop when you like. Everyone stopped to take photos and have a rest. I didn't think it was that bad.
At the top there is a little area where they welcome you to the island and give you some safety tips and advice on good areas to go to etc.
The walk up to the farmhouse is not very steep, about 15 minutes walk on bumpy terrain in places and some grass. Along this walk I saw so many puffins, until it becomes a bit more inland and then you don't see any at all.
I walked from the farmhouse to 'the wick' which is about a mile, and worth every step! At the wick, there is a bay with cliffs either side, and the puffins were like Alfred Hitchcocks movie 'The Birds'. They dived in over your head and walked amongst people like they were not there! I had one actually walk across my shoes and get in my camera bag after my lunch! I had to carefully shoo it out! The black backed gulls are also seen here, with Kittiwakes and Guillimots. The Kittiwakes and guillimots were few and a bit further away. They are getting ready to leave I believe.
The baby puffins were emerging from their burrows all cute and fluffy and grey. The black backed gulls were lovely too. They are huge and when one stood near me it was over my knee height!
I had planned to walk around the perimeter, but after two previous heavy days, I was worn out. I saw so much on the small part that I did.
Going back to the boat, you go down the steps and wait on the jetty steps. When you get back, the steep climb to Locley lodge can be rewarded with an ice cream at Lockley Lodge (I discovered they sold ice cream after they put the sign out!)
There is a youth hostel that's very cheap looking over the bay that I was told was very cheap. I didn't go in it so I can't recommend it, but they said it was alright.
So, if you're planning on going, I hope this helps. I had so many questions for folks that went, I didn't like to keep asking and I hope it's helpful if you're planning a trip.
If you haven't been, go. It's a magical place, and the puffins are so cute. Oh...and don't try to stroke them. They look cute, but they bite, and they bite quite badly. One man got bitten and he bled. He bled alot...all day...:nono:
Tori
