Yachting

Lindisfarne,

Northumberland

East Bn 21.3m

Lt.Oc. RWG6s4M

Beacon

Lt.Oc. RWG.6s5M

West Bn 25.3m

LINDISFARNE

or

HOLY ISLAND

Emmanuel Head

Bn Conspic 10m

False Emmanuel

Head

Snipe Pt

Castle Pt

Guile Pt

Brides Hole

Plough

Seat

(conspic)Castle Reef

The Ouse

St Mary’s Church

The Snook

St Cuthbert’s I.

The Heugh

Pier and steps

Belfry & beacon in line 310°T

Triton Ridge

The Yare Pier (ruin)

Old Law beaconsin line 260°T

Old Law

Stone Ridge

North

Sea

NORTHUMBERLAND

Inner

Farne

Farne Is.

Bamburgh

Castle

Lindisfarne

Castle

Lindisfarne

St Cuthbert’s I. (Holy I.) Newcastle

upon Tyne

Lindisfarne

(Holy I.)

0 1nm

The ancient castle on

Beblowe Crag guards

the entrance and

overlooks the Ouse

PILOTAGE

52 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com MAY 2016

This ancient half-tide island off the

north-east coast is steeped in history

and worth a visit, says Alastair Buchan I

f you are 45 miles north of

the Tyne or 35 miles south

of the Forth, it’s well

worth the detour. Bring

the beacons on Guile

Point into line and steer for the

half-tide island of Lindisfarne.

In 634AD Northumberland’s

King Oswald asked the monks

on Iona to convert his heathen

subjects. Iona’s fi rst choice of

missionary gave up, muttering

about unreconstructed pagans.

Aidan, the monks’ fi rst reserve,

had better luck. He founded

the abbey, became the fi rst of

Lindisfarne’s sixteen bishops

and achieved sainthood. St

Cuthbert, the sixth bishop,

put Lindisfarne on the map

thanks to miracles claimed in

his name and the popularity of

his incorruptible corpse with

pilgrims. As the island’s fame

grew, so did the abbey’s status.

During this time it produced

the Lindisfarne Gospels.

In 793AD months of furious

whirlwinds, terrifying electrical

storms and famine were, too

late, seen as a warning that the

Vikings were coming. Their

attack on the abbey was written

up as the fi rst-ever Viking raid.

Maybe. It was not the last.

A chequered history

The monks endured Norse

enthusiasm for rape and

pillage until 875AD before

picking up St Cuthbert’s

coffi n and wandering through

Northumberland before

settling in Durham in 995AD.

They reopened the abbey

in 1082AD, and rebranded

Lindisfarne as Holy Island.

The Scots never showed

much interest in the island,

but as the only natural shelter

between the Humber and

Forth, Henry VIII included it

in his 1539AD list of harbours

that should be ‘fensed with

CHART: MAXINE HEATH

PHOTO: ALASTAIR BUCHAN

The front Law beacon is 22m high, the rear 25m,

and they are 112m apart. They lead you over the bar