Ramsey Island

Ramsey Island lies just one kilometre off St David’s Head in Pembrokeshire, a small island of 259 hectares reached by boat from St Davids. The island’s highest point, Carnllundain, rises 136 metres above sea level, and its rugged coastline is framed by steep cliffs and scattered islets. Named after Saint David in Welsh and Hrafn’s island in Old Norse, the island was once home to Saint Justinian’s confessor. It is the fourth largest island in Wales and forms part of the community of St Davids and the Cathedral Close. The island is owned by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and managed as a nature reserve. Ramsey Island supports one of the largest grey seal breeding colonies in southern Britain, with over 400 pups born each autumn. Choughs gather here in good numbers, drawn by abundant dung beetles, while peregrines, ravens and Manx shearwaters nest on the cliffs. The island’s geology is varied, with mudstones, volcanic tuffs and rhyolite intrusions visible along the coastal sections. Archaeologists have found traces of prehistoric cairns and field systems dating back five thousand years. Visitors find dramatic bird cliffs and sweeping coastal scenery around the island’s edges. The waters of Ramsey Sound are known for powerful tidal effects, including tidal waterfalls between The Bitches. Smaller islands such as Ynys Bery and Ynys Cantwr lie nearby, each with its own rocky profile. The island itself remains uninhabited except for the RSPB warden and assistant warden living in a farmhouse. Boat tours sail around the island from St Davids, offering views of the seals, seabirds and rugged terrain.