Ramsey Island

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Ramsey
Welsh: Ynys Dewi

Pembrokeshire

Ramsey Island viewed from the tip of St Davids Head - geograph.org.uk - 1529756.jpg
Ramsey Island from St David's Head
Location
Grid reference: SM700232
Highest point: 446 feet
Data

Ramsey Island is an island about half a mile off the coast of the St David's peninsula in Pembrokeshire on the northern side of St Brides Bay. In Welsh the island is named after Saint David (Dewi Sant). It is said to have been the home of his confessor, Saint Justinian. The nearest town is the City of St David's.

Ramsey Island is less than 2 miles long and its highest point is 446 feet above sea level at Carnllundain. It is the largest island in Wales after Anglesey and Holy Island.

Nature Reserve

Owned and managed by the RSPB,[1] the island has spectacular bird cliffs, coastal scenery and heathland. Ramsey has the most important Grey Seal breeding colony in southern Britain, with over 400 seal pups born each autumn.[1] It is one of the best sites in to see Choughs.

Other breeding species include Ravens, Buzzards, Peregrine Falcons, Wheatears, gulls, auks, Manx Shearwaters, Razorbills and Guillemots.

With a permanent population of just two human residents (the RSPB warden and his wife who live in a farmhouse there), the island is otherwise uninhabited. Tourist boats sail to and around the island (7 days a week, Easter-31 October) from Saint Justinian's RNLI lifeboat station on the mainland.

Ramsey Island is surrounded by a number of smaller islands, islets and rock clusters, including:

  • Bancyn-ffald
  • The Bitches tidal race
  • The Bishops and Clerks group, including:
    • Carreg Rhoson and Maen Rhoson
    • Carreg-trai
    • Cribog
    • Daufraich and Maen Daufraich
    • Emsger or South Bishop
    • Llechau-isaf and Llechau-uchaf
    • Moelyn
    • North Bishop

Outside links

Commons-logo.svg
("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Ramsey Island)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Countryside Council for Wales, National Nature Reserves|Ramsey (retrieved 2011-10-28).