Where to stay in...
The Farne Islands are situated between two and five miles off the Northumberland Coast.
There are 28 islands in total, 15 of which can be seen at high tide, with the largest island being Inner Farne.
Historically the Farne Islands are associated with St Aidan and St Cuthbert, both of whom used the islands as a place to mediate in utter solitude.
The Northumberland heroine, Grace Darling spent most of her short life on the lighthouses here, first on Brownsman's Island and then on Longstone Island.
Glad Tidings V Tourist Boat © Andy F - CCL
Longstone Lighthouse © Andy F - CCL
Puffin on Staple Island © Nigel Chadwick - CCL
The 30 minute boat trip, departing from Seahouses brings in excess of 45,000 visitors to the islands throughout the year.
The most rewarding months being late May,
June and early July when tens of thousands of birds are roosting.
The islands are the summer home of four of the five species of British tern, as well as twelve other species of seabird, including puffins (also known as the 'Sea Parrot' and locally known as the 'Tommy Noddy'), guillemots and kittiwakes.
Another notable resident of the Farne Islands is the grey seal
(also known as the Atlantic Grey Seal), with between 3000 and 4000 of this rare species on and around the islands.
The colonies here are one of the most important in Europe, and this species of seal is the largest surviving carnivore in the British Isles and resides throughout the year, with the 1000 or so pups being born each year in late October and November.
The islands being in the care of the National Trust are a very popular destination for lovers of wildlife, for nowhere in the British Isles are such a variety of seabirds to be seen in such a small area.
The Farne Island puffin census will again take place in 2013, this will be the first population count since 2008.
The 2013 census follows a poor breeding season in 2012, which was one of the worst for a number of years, many blame this decline on the terrible wet summer of last year.
Longstone Lighthouse, or Outer Farne as it was first called, is situated on Longstone Rock, one of the Outer Staple Islands.
Visitors can sail out to this isolated Lighthouse, which is open to the public during the months of April to October.
Visitors can view Grace Darling's tiny bedroom from where she spotted nine survivors desperately clinging to the rocks.
Despite a raging storm, the Darlings launched the lighthouse boat and rescued the survivors, caring for them in the lighthouse for two days until the storm subsided.
Longstone Lighthouse © Andy F - CCL
View from Longstone Lighthouse © William Stafford - CCL
In the late autumn of 2007, two basking sharks measuring in the region of 20 feet in length were spotted offshore around the Farne Islands.
This is the first time these gentle giants have been seen in this area, and only the 17th time they have been seen off the north east coast.
The two sharks fed on plankton for six days before swimming off, perhaps migrating to warmer waters.
A few days later, a 10 feet long basking shark was washed up on Fisherrow Beach (Musselburgh) in East Lothian, despite considerable effort, the young shark was unable to be saved.
Occasionally the Farne Islands are visited by pods of Dolphins.
These playful animals approach the tour boats very closely, allowing visitors a birds-eye view of their amusing antics.
