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Grassholm

Pembrokeshire  >  United Kingdom

More remote and much less accessible than Skomer, Grassholm lies off the tip of Pembrokeshire and is famous for its Northern Gannet breeding colony.

Added* by Marnix Roels
Most recent update 22 December 2021
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Description

Grassholm is home to the third largest colony of breeding pairs of Northern Gannet in the world. Although it is not possible to land on the island, if you would like to see these amazing birds then taking one of the summer boat trips around Grassholm is well worthwhile. The island of Grassholm is owned and managed by the RSPB.

Details

Access

RSPB endorse Thousand Islands Boat Trips, whose office is situated just off Cross Square in St. David's - see picture on the right. They run a range of trips to Ramsey and Grassholm islands, but for those wishing to see the huge colony of breeding Northern Gannet on Grassholm it is best to take one of the trips that is accompanied by an RSPB Guide. Bookings for these trips (only nine are run most years) must be made in advance.

Should you fail to get a place on one of these guided trips, Thousand Islands also run a range of other fascinating wildlife trips around the islands of Ramsey and Grassholm with opportunities to enjoy not only birds but also Atlantic Grey Seals, Whales and Dolphins.

Terrain and Habitat

Sea , Grassland , Plateau

Conditions

No shadow , Open landscape , Dry , Hilly

Circular trail

No

Is a telescope useful?

No

Good birding season

Summer , Spring

Best time to visit

Summer , Spring

Difficulty walking trail

Accessible by

Boat

Birdwatching hide / platform

No

Links

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Map

Top 5 birds

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Comments & Tips

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