Lindisfarne

Lindisfarne, commonly known as Holy Island, is a tidal island off the coast of Northumberland, England. It lies in the North Sea and is connected to the mainland by a causeway that becomes submerged at high tide, making access time-limited and dependent on tide tables.

Founded around 635 by Aidan of Lindisfarne, the island became one of medieval England's most important religious centers. A monastery and later a bishopric fostered learning and missionary activity; the island's scriptorium produced the Lindisfarne Gospels, an illuminated Latin gospel book created around 700–715, now in the British Library.

During the Viking raids beginning in the late 8th century, the monastery suffered repeated attacks, and in the 9th–10th centuries the see was relocated to Chester-le-Street and later to Durham, where the bishopric was established. The monastery on Lindisfarne was dissolved in the 1530s during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, though the parish church and associated buildings survive as historical monuments.

Today, Lindisfarne houses the ruins of the priory and the parish church of St Mary, as well as Lindisfarne Castle, a 16th-century coastal fortification later restored in the 20th century. The island is a popular destination for visitors seeking wildlife, history, and scenic views, with birdlife including seabirds and waders.

Access is via a causeway that is crossed at low tide; visitors should consult tide times for safe passage. The island remains part of Northumberland and is administered with its nearby communities as part of the North East of England region.