Pilgrims' Path walk across the sands to Holy Island
Overview
The route across the sands at low tide is atmospheric, evoking the time of Saxon Kings and Celtic Priests. We are likely to see and hear Grey seals as they bask on the sands. You will hear stories dating back to Roman times and can begin to imagine early pilgrims making the crossing to pay their respects to St Aidan and St Cuthbert. Holy Island is a special place and the best way to approach it is across the sands - walking barefoot if you want to get the most from your experience!
The walk is one-way to the island, returning to the start point in my vehicle after we have spent some free time on Holy Island.
Inclusions
- A pair of walking poles if needed
What to expect
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Lindisfarne Priory Museum Church Lane, TD15 2RX England
We will be able to take in a panoramic view of the Priory from the rocky outcrop on the island. There is also the chance to explore the village and purchase refreshments.
Duration: 20 minutes
Pass By: Lindisfarne Castle, TD15 2SH England
We will see the castle from a distance. There will not be time to make a visit to view
Stop At: Holy Island, Holy Island, Northumberland, England
The walk across the sands brings us to Holy Island
Duration: 30 minutes
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
Cancellation
Spent a magical day with Ray. It was clear blue skies and a gloriously sunshine. The views were amazing. The walk across the estuary was fun in bare feet and Ray brought the whole thing to life by providing a really interesting narrative on the history of Northumberland and Holy island. A truly ...
Spent a magical day with Ray. It was clear blue skies and a gloriously sunshine. The views were amazing. The walk across the estuary was fun in bare feet and Ray brought the whole thing to life by providing a really interesting narrative on the history of Northumberland and Holy island. A truly enjoyable morning and a highlight of our holidayExcellent, safe, informative walk through Northumbrian history. Highly recommend you contact Ray for Pilgrim Way walk to Holy Island.
Excellent, safe, informative walk through Northumbrian history. Highly recommend you contact Ray for Pilgrim Way walk to Holy Island.Fantastic experience walking across the sand to the Holy Island .Our guide Ray was very knowledgeable ,informative and made the trip interesting and fun We had a great day
Fantastic experience walking across the sand to the Holy Island .Our guide Ray was very knowledgeable ,informative and made the trip interesting and fun We had a great dayThis guided walk was an excellent find! Ray was knowledgeable, interesting, friendly and a very clear communicator. We were impressed with how he made an effort to remember everyone's name! He brought the history of Holy Island to life with a series of stories along the route and chatted about ot...
This guided walk was an excellent find! Ray was knowledgeable, interesting, friendly and a very clear communicator. We were impressed with how he made an effort to remember everyone's name! He brought the history of Holy Island to life with a series of stories along the route and chatted about other historical topics from his experience as we walked. An excellent atmospheric walk and great educational experience. Thank you Ray!I had been wondering whether to try to walk by myself along the pilgrims’ way over to Lindisfarne but was unsure whether the tidal window of opportunity would allow me to walk there and back in time. Getting a taxi one way was not an option, given lack of availability and price. And the bus to Li...
I had been wondering whether to try to walk by myself along the pilgrims’ way over to Lindisfarne but was unsure whether the tidal window of opportunity would allow me to walk there and back in time. Getting a taxi one way was not an option, given lack of availability and price. And the bus to Lindisfarne only operates twice a week. Then someone recommended Ray to me and he solved all my problems. Under his guidance, we had time to walk across to the Holy Island AND spend an hour looking at the Priory and St Cuthbert’s island AND walk back to the mainland. Instead of worrying whether I was following the right route across the sand (some detours from the marked route are necessary to avoid swampy areas), I had the pleasure of learning from Ray about who exactly Oswald and Cuthbert and Aidan were, and the role that Lindisfarne played in history. Once on Lindisfarne, Ray provided a potted tour — he leads a separate 5-hour excursion on Lindisfarne which I will definitely do on a subsequent visit — then we headed back across the sand well before the tide came in. This time, we were the only people walking (everyone else seemed to be returning by car). Ray does offer a one way excursion with return by car, but I would recommend walking both ways if you possibly can, as it is a very special experience. The excursion began and ended at the Barn at Beal, which involved an extra half hour or so of walking from the Barn to the start of the walk across the sand, and vice versa at the end of the excursion. Total time for the entire excursion was around 4 1/2 hours — although it might take longer with a larger group. But Ray will definitely keep an eye in the tide and ensure that you get to the Holy Island and back well within the tidal window. I would recommend Ray to anyone interested in learning some historical background as well as having a pleasantly invigorating walk.My husband and I, along with our dog Mabel, went on this guided walk to Holy Island. We were a group of 10 altogether. A lovely group. Ray told us what we could expect from the walk so we felt prepared (a walk on a path from our meeting place to the causeway, short walk on the causeway and then a...
My husband and I, along with our dog Mabel, went on this guided walk to Holy Island. We were a group of 10 altogether. A lovely group. Ray told us what we could expect from the walk so we felt prepared (a walk on a path from our meeting place to the causeway, short walk on the causeway and then across the sand - about 3.5 miles). I liked walking barefoot across the route but others wore walking shoes or sandals. Ray told us about the history of Lindisfarne. So interesting, he is a great story teller. Spent a bit of time on the island before Ray drove us back to our meeting point. A really enjoyable excursion, I would thoroughly recommend. Much better than just driving across the causeway!