Holy Island

Holy Island lies off Anglesey’s west coast, joined by causeways and bridges to the mainland. It is a small island packed with ancient stones and burial chambers, giving it the name Holy Island. The main town is Holyhead, where most of the island’s population lives. The landscape rises to Holyhead Mountain, the county’s highest point at 220 metres. Offshore stand South Stack and North Stack, two islets reached by steep steps and a suspension bridge. The coast alternates between rocky cliffs and sandy beaches like Trearddur Bay. A large site of special scientific interest covers the waters between Holy Island and Anglesey.

The island’s past reaches back to Neolithic times, around 4000 BC, when the first long houses were built. Bronze Age standing stones and Iron Age hut circles show continuous occupation. William Owen Stanley excavated the Ty Mawr Hut Circles in 1862, uncovering limpet shells and Roman pottery. Later, Irish settlers arrived after Roman rule ended, leading to battles led by Cunedda and Cadwallon Lawhir. Many hillforts served the island for nearly a thousand years until the Roman invasion. Ancient pottery proves the huts were still in use in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD.

Visitors walk the Anglesey Coastal Path, which covers about 50 kilometres on Holy Island. South Stack Lighthouse stands on its own island, reached by bridge and steps, with an RSPB reserve nearby. The Breakwater Country Park and RNLI museum offer sheltered stops. Holyhead Mountain’s heather moor gives wide views across the Irish Sea. Trearddur Bay’s sands and Penrhos Country Park’s dunes provide quieter shores. The island’s sports grounds host football, rugby and golf, while Holyhead Park has tennis courts and a skate park. Ferries leave from Holyhead for Dublin, and small hotels and caravan parks welcome longer stays.