7 Reasons to stay on Skomer Island and how to make it happen

Skomer Island is best known for the colony of puffins that make this small island their summer home. Each day there are a limited number of tickets to visit the island giving you 5 hours to explore and spend time with the puffins. However, there is another way to visit and that is to have an overnight stay on the island.

When the day boats have left, the island is your own personal place to sit and watch the puffins, wander without the bustle of day trippers and enjoy the surreal nighttime noise of the Manx shearwaters.

Why should you stay on Skomer Island?

Nothing beats a day trip, but sometimes you just want more and this is always the case with Skomer. It is a magical place and a day gives you the briefest of highlights. Staying enables you to take your time and make the most of your encounters with the wildlife.

Experience sunset at the Garland Stone

The only way to see sunrise and sunset on Skomer Island is to stay. The day boats do not depart until 10am, long after sunrise and the last boat home departs at 5pm which in the summer months is a few hours before sunset.

By staying on the island it is possible to return to the accommodation while the mayhem of departure happens and once calm descends wander to the Wick and then along to the Garland Stone. As there are only 16 guest beds on the island and the volunteers there will be space for everyone.

See the night sky

Skomer Island is the perfect place to experience the night sky. Head to The Wick for stunning views of the Milky Way arching above Skokholm or look north for a chance to see the Northern Lights.

Listen to the Manx Shearwaters

The Manx shearwaters (Puffinus puffinus) nest in burrows that cover the entire island. It is estimated that there are 350,000 to 390,000 breeding pairs worldwide, 300,000 of which are found on Skomer Island. They only nest on islands that are free from rats that would raid the burrows so their nesting options are limited.

During the day the chicks are deep underground and the adults are out at sea. They are incredibly clumsy on land and return under the cover of darkness to avoid the attention of predators such as great skuas and great black-backed gulls.

Heading out into the darkness the noise of the Manxies will hit you with their haunting call. Sort of like a turkey but with a hint of puffin. You will not see many of the birds unless they fly into you (which does happen) or their nest is on the side of the path, but you will know they are close by from the constant chatter.

See the toads

During the day, there are plenty of butterflies and other insects around but at night it is the turn of the toads and slugs to emerge. I am certain island life breeds them bigger than anywhere else. When walking around in the dark as well as keeping to the path and looking out for flying Manx shearwaters you need to watch where you are stepping and pick your way around the toads, frogs and slugs.

Have time to explore quieter areas

The time on the island for a day trip is more than enough to get to know the puffins, but it is certainly a fast pace to see the entire island. By staying on the island you will have time to watch the birds from Moorey Mere hide or wait around the Old Farm for the short-eared owl to hunt as it sometimes does early in the day.

During the day you can avoid The Wick and High Cliff and spend your time almost alone at Bull Hole or Pigstone Bay with smaller puffin colonies and the razorbills.

Learn more about the island

Visitor days are busy and the wardens and volunteers are in ‘man-management’ mode. People do the stupidest of things and ensuring the safety of the wildlife and the visitors takes priority.

However, come the evening it is all a bit calmer. There is time to chat with the wardens and the volunteers who are more than happy to share their knowledge and love of the island.

Win at weather roulette

Getting to Skomer is dependent on the weather. Wind from a northerly direction blows straight onto the jetty at Martin’s Haven and North Haven making it impossible to get on and off the boat. If you are staying on the island you may lose a day, but you will still have an extended visit. If a day trip is cancelled then that is it.

Staying also means that if one day has awful weather you still have a chance for the next day and somewhere to hide while the storm blows through. Day trippers have no shelter and unless the boat is cancelled will not receive a bad weather refund.

You can also go out and get some stunning storm photographs and puffins in the rain knowing a warm shower and hot food is just a short walk away.

How to stay on Skomer Island – the logistics

Staying on Skomer Island is not a five-star luxury. Accommodation on Skomer Island is basic but cosy with its own unique feel. You can stay for two or three nights and if you stay on a Sunday night you have the island to yourself on a Monday as there are no day boats. Perfect for even more photography time.

Day trip booking for Skomer Island is through Pembrokeshire Islands Boat Trips and stays on the island are booked through the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales.

A few tips to make booking and staying on the island easier:

• Make sure you know when booking opens as dates go fast. It is usually the first Monday in October
• Try to avoid Bank holidays and school holidays as there may be more day visitors
• If you want to see the island with bluebells book to visit in May and to guarantee seeing puffins plan to visit in May, June or July. They arrive in April and start to leave in early August
• Once you have booked your stay make sure you book parking at West Hook Farm. You cannot leave vehicles overnight in the Martin’s Haven Car Park
• Pack light in easy-to-carry bags as everything has to be carried up the steps to the island and back down again. After a few hours, no one will look nice as there will be a coating of dust and mud on everything so lots of changes of clothes are not needed
• Be able to walk all day. There is no option other than to do the steps and hill to the island information board and then the hike to the Wick
• Wear walking boots and bring waterproofs as you will more than likely need them at some point
• Bring a duvet cover and pillowcase. Duvets are provided and the cover takes up less space than a sleeping bag
• The island only has off-grid electricity so make sure you bring lots of power packs and batteries. There is solar power for charging but it is shared so being self-sufficient is useful
• Cookers and cold storage are available but are limited. We take food ready to reheat but frozen so it can defrost during our stay and not need lots of preparation
• Make sure you bring rubbish bags as everything has to be taken off when you leave