Island 55 - Ramsey, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Ramsey is owned and managed by the RSPB:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/r/ramseyisland/  

It is located due west of St Davids, Pembrokeshire and at the nearest point is just over half a mile from the mainland, from which it is separated by Ramsey Sound.   It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a National Nature Reserve.  The Welsh name for Ramsey is Ynys Dewi, which means St David's Island.  Boats cross to the island from the Lifeboat Station at St Justinians near St Davids.  The service is run by Thousand Island Expeditions, which are based in St Davids.  They also run non-landing tours of Ramsey and Grassholm in jet boats and rigid hull inflatable boats.

I visited for 4 hours one afternoon in June 2004 and for 6 hours in April 2012.  4 hours is sufficient to see the island but doesn't give you much 'stand and stare' time.  6 hours is plenty of time to climb all 3 peaks, walk all the paths, stand and stare for a while and to drink several cups of tea and have a chat to the wardens.  You can walk round the coast of almost the whole island on an easy 3.5 mile long path with optional small detours to climb the islands 3 peaks - Carn Llundain (the highest point on the island at 136 metres), Carn Ysgubor and Foel Fawr.  There is an additional path, which cuts across the island from the west coast at Porth Lleuog to the Farmhouse.

There is a compost toilet located in amongst the farm buildings, an information centre and a small shop where you can also buy hot and cold drinks and a few basic snacks.  The island is closed from November to the end of March.  The wardens and volunteers greeted us warmly and enthusiastically and were very happy to chat and to answer all the questions I had.  Two wardens live on the island all year and they are joined by an assistant in the summer months. 

Ramsey was farmed from the Bronze Age to the late 20th century.  There are Bronze Age cairns on the summits of Carn Ysgubor and Carn Llundain.  A monastery was founded on Ramsey by St Devynog and St David and St Patrick are said to have met on the island.  The remains of the monastery have been mostly eroded by the sea over the passing centuries.  St Justinian is reputed to have been murdered on the island by some of his own monks.  

The island was owned and administered by the Bishops of David from the 13th century until 1905.  It became a place of retreat and pilgrimage.  After 1905 the island had a succession of owners and tenants.

Rabbits were introduced in the 13th century for meat. Cattle, goats and sheep grazed on the island and barley, oats, wheat and vegetables were grown.  In the late 20th century the island was used as a deer farm and there are still a few descendants of these red deer on the island.   The island is now grazed by rabbits, cows, ponies and sheep.

In the summer breeding season razorbills, guillemots, ravens, fulmar, peregrines and kittiwakes can be seen on the high sea cliffs.  Choughs can also be seen on the island and I did see a couple on both my visits to the island.  During the second visit we saw a peregrine.    Rare golden hair lichen can be found on the western slopes of Carn Llundain, which indicates that the air is very pure.  Grey seals can be seen around the coast.  Work is currently underway to encourage puffins back to the island now that the rats have been eradicated.

The south and west of the island are made of igneous gabbro, rhyolite, dolerite and tuffs, while the north and east are made of sedimentary and metamorphic mudstones, sandstones and shale.

 Farmhouse and shop - looking east towards the mainland

Farmhouse looking south

 Farm buildings

Cairn on Carn Ysgubor

 Porth Lleuog

 Trig Point on Carn Llundain looking east

 West coast of Ramsey

 View looking south from Foel Fawr at the southern end of Ramsey towards Ynys Cantwr and Ynys Bery

 Ynys Bery

 From Carn Llundain looking south towards Ynys Bery

 Aber Mawr from Carn Ysgubor looking towards Carn Llundain

Not the most exotic bird on the island but certainly the friendliest!

 South Bishop Lighthouse from the west coast of Ramsey - built 1839

The islets and rocks off the west coast of Ramsey are collectively known as the Bishops and Clerks.  At least one of them - Carreg Rhoson - was once used for summer grazing.

 Welsh mountain ponies enjoying a drink

 The only other building on Ramsey apart from the farmhouse.  On the south east slopes of Carn Ysgubor

  Track up from the landing jetty
I thought this might count as a separate island but the warden said it was part of Ramsey

 Aber Mawr on the west coast
 - apparently this is a good place to see breeding seals in the autumn.  There is no access to any of the beaches on Ramsey

 The top of Carn Ysgubor looking towards St Davids Head and Carn Llidi

  An unstable cliff on the west coast at Porth Lleuog

 North east coast

 The Bitches in Ramsey Sound looking north towards St Davids Head and Carn Llidi.  

In October 1910 the St Davids Lifeboat was swept onto the Bitches and wrecked while trying to save the crew of the ketch Democrat.  3 lifeboatmen were drowned but the 12 other lifeboatmen, along with the 3 crewmen of the Democrat were rescued after clinging to the rocks for 12 hours.