The remote Welsh island with one of the best night skies in the WORLD: Ynys Enlli is officially recognised as the first Dark Sky Sanctuary in Europe
- Ynys Enlli officially recognised for having one of the best night skies in the world
- First site in Europe to be awarded International Dark Sky Sanctuary certification
- Remote island is located two miles off the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula in north Wales
It is best known for having a population of just four people and potentially being the final resting place of the legendary King Arthur.
But now Ynys Enlli, or Bardsey Island, has a new claim to fame — the tiny remote Welsh island officially has one of the best night skies in the world.
It is the first site in Europe to be awarded International Dark Sky Sanctuary (IDSS) certification and joins 16 others worldwide recognised as the most remote and dark places on Earth.
The trust which owns Ynys Enlli – home to just a handful of residents but no electric grid, cars or indoor toilets – said gaining such ‘prestigious status’ was a ‘huge achievement’.
Known as ‘the island of 20,000 saints’ because of its supposed number of graves and the Celtic and Christian monasteries established there since the 6th Century, evidence suggests Bardsey was inhabited from as early as the Bronze Age.
Starry night: Ynys Enlli, or Bardsey Island, off the coast of north Wales, is the first site in Europe to be awarded International Dark Sky Sanctuary certification and joins 16 others worldwide
Remote: The trust which owns Ynys Enlli – home to just a handful of residents but no electric grid, cars or indoor toilets – said gaining such ‘prestigious status’ was a ‘huge achievement’
By the early Middle Ages, the island was one of the holiest places in Britain, while some even believe it to be the final resting place of the legendary King Arthur.
There are two key factors which make Ynys Enlli one of the darkest places in the UK.
WHAT IS DARK SKY SANCTUARY CERTIFICATION?
The International Dark Sky Places certification process is similar to other conservation and environmental designation programs, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
There are several different categories, including dark sky parks, communities, reserves, sanctuaries, and urban night sky places.
Each category has its own set of guidelines based on land management, size, and sky quality.
Dark sky sanctuaries have to be public or private land, accessible to the public in part or whole, and must provide an exceptional view where the night sky brightness is routinely equal to or darker than 21.5 magnitudes per square arc second.
The International Dark-Sky Association does not select the sites, they are normally nominated by a small group of individuals who organise to seek formal protection of their nightscape.
First is its location – two miles off the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula in north Wales – and the second is its geographical features.
The island’s mountain acts like a barrier to limit light from the mainland, which means the most significant light pollution comes from Dublin, over 70 miles (112.6 km) across the Irish Sea.
Sian Stacey, chair of the Bardsey Island Trust, said: ‘There’s no doubt that achieving this prestigious status for Ynys Enlli will raise the profile of the island as a unique place in Wales and amongst the best in the world to appreciate the night sky.
‘We hope it will also go a long way in securing the long-term sustainability of the island.’
Wales already has several Dark Sky places and reserves, but sites designated as sanctuaries are much rarer and have stricter criteria in terms of the quality of the night sky.
The population of Ynys Enlli has fluctuated over the centuries but today it is home to a small community of residents who work the land and fish from the island.
There are also 10 holiday cottages, with visitors allowed between March and October.
The tiny community is accessible only by boat from a small fishing village on the mainland, but centuries ago, the scrap of land was one of the most significant religious sites in Britain.
The 1.5 mile-long island was a Christian pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages — when three visits to Bardsey were said to equal one to Rome.
Mari Huws is one of the Wardens on Ynys Enlli and has been part of the lengthy certification process.
‘Living here, I am always in awe of the island’s beauty — and the night sky is very much a part of that,’ she said.
‘Having secured the certification, we look forward to welcoming visitors here over the coming months and years and sharing with them our unique story.
Tight-knit: The population of Ynys Enlli has fluctuated over the centuries but today it is home to a small community of residents who work the land and fish from the island
Rich history: Ynys Enlli is said to have become an important religious hub in the 6th century. Bardsey Lighthouse is pictured
Where is it? The 1.5 mile-long island was a Christian pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages – when three visits to Bardsey were said to equal one to Rome
THE 16 DARK SKY SANCTUARY SITES
- !Ae!Hai Kalahari Heritage Park (South Africa)
- Aotea / Great Barrier Island (New Zealand)
- Black Gap Wildlife Management Area, Texas (US)
- Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota (US)
- Cosmic Campground, New Mexico (US)
- Devils River State Natural Area – Del Norte Unit, Texas (US)
- Gabriela Mistral (Chile)
- Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine (US)
- Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge, Montana (US)
- Massacre Rim Wilderness Study Area, Nevada (US)
- Medicine Rocks State Park, Montana (US)
- Niue
- Pitcairn Islands
- Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Utah (US)
- Stewart Island / Rakiura (New Zealand)
- The Jump-Up (Australia)
- Ynys Enlli – Bardsey Island (Wales)
‘We knew we lived in a special place, this new status confirms this, with IDSS putting Enlli firmly on the global stage.
‘In a world that’s increasingly being polluted, it’s a privilege to be able to work towards protecting something that is pristine for future generations.’
It took the trust four years to receive its rare certification, which was confirmed with the help of monitoring of the island’s night sky to show that it was sufficiently dark.
‘We are delighted to welcome Ynys Ellis to the growing community of dark sky places worldwide,’ said Ruskin Hartley, executive director of the International Dark-Sky Association.
‘With it, Wales is fast becoming one of the leading nations in protecting dark skies as a precious resource that benefits people and wildlife.’
Ynys Enlli is said to have become an important religious hub in the 6th century when Einon, the King of Llyn, invited the Breton St Cadfan to Bardsey.
Together, they built St Mary’s Abbey — where a community of 2,500 monks lived throughout the 7th century.
It is believed many of them indicated they wanted to be buried on Bardsey, which is perhaps the reason the land is known in folklore as the ‘island of 20,000 saints.’
This tale is honoured in a chapel graveyard, where an inscription reads: ‘Respect the remains of 20,000 saints buried near this spot.’
It may seem a stretch that such a huge population is hidden beneath an island just 1.5 miles long, but locals believe you can dig anywhere on Bardsey and find a body.
In fact, in an excavation near to the modern-day chapel in the 1990s, archeologists unearthed 25 medieval graves.
St Mary’s Abbey flourished until 1537 — when it was destroyed by Henry VIII in his Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries.
Legend has it: By the early Middle Ages, the island was one of the holiest places in Britain, while some even believe it to be the final resting place of the legendary King Arthur (depicted)
Finding an Arthurian legend: The other potential resting places of King Arthur
The tale of King Arthur has captured the imaginations of historians and authors for centuries.
But a lack of concrete evidence about this mythical monarch has left his narrative open to a great deal of interpretation – and given numerous locations the opportunity to lay claim on a part of his story.
There are, therefore, dozens of places believed to be the site of his court, Camelot, the Isle of Avalon, and various battles.
There are also a great deal of locations in the UK and beyond where it is believed King Arthur could be buried.
Eildon Hills, Roxburghshire: Eildon, on the Scottish border, is said to be a ‘hollow hill’ in folklore. It is here, the legends say, where a host of armed knights lie asleep at their horses’ feet.
Their sleeping leader, the tale tells, is King Arthur himself.
Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset: The most notable rumoured location of the king’s burial is Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset.
Here, there are tombstones claiming to mark the final resting places of Arthur and his queen, Guinevere.
The Abbey, which was once surrounded by water, is also believed to be the legendary Isle of Avalon – where the dying king was taken to be healed after his final battle.
The story tells that he was taken to the abbey to be healed, but his wounds proved fatal, and he was thus buried near to the church, south of the Lady Chapel.
Richmond Castle, North Yorkshire: Local legends hold that King Arthur and his knights are sleeping in a cave underneath the 11th century castle.
It is said they were once discovered by a potter name Thompson, who ran from the caves when they began to awake.
Mount Etna: This active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, is also believed by some to be the final resting place of Arthur.
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