Why Skellig Michael
Skellig Michael, also known as Great Skellig, is a steep, twin-peaked rocky island situated roughly 11.6 kilometers off the coast of the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. Spanning between 18 and 22 hectares, the island is characterized by its rugged landscape, where two high summits are divided by a central valley named Christ's Saddle. Its loftiest point, known as the Spit, reaches an elevation of 218 meters above the Atlantic Ocean. Geologically formed hundreds of millions of years ago alongside mainland mountain ranges, the crag eventually became isolated as sea levels rose.
The island is renowned for an early Christian monastic settlement established between the 6th and 8th centuries. Inhabited by a small community of monks, the monastery endured Viking raids during the 9th century before being abandoned around the late 12th or early 13th century. It subsequently became a destination for religious pilgrims. Due to its exceptional historical preservation and intact architectural remnants, UNESCO designated Skellig Michael as a World Heritage Site in 1996.
Perched on a terraced shelf 170 to 180 meters above sea level on the northern peak, the monastic site includes stone beehive cells, two oratories, a medieval church, a cemetery, and carved crosses. Visitors reach these historic structures by climbing steep, narrow stone stairways that ascend from coastal landing points, passing notable geological markers such as the Wailing Woman rock. A second, highly isolated hermitage sits on the hazardous southern peak, though it remains largely closed to the public. Later additions to the island include 19th-century lighthouses built on its Atlantic face.
Skellig Michael also functions as a protected state nature reserve and Special Protection Area. The exposed cliffs and sparse inland vegetation support diverse birdlife, including substantial populations of Atlantic puffins, gannets, fulmars, storm petrels, and kittiwakes. Grey seals frequently gather on the rocky shorelines, and the island is also home to populations of rabbits and house mice.
Due to the remote location, volatile weather, and rough seas, access to Skellig Michael is strictly seasonal. Visitors generally arrive by boat during the summer months, landing at eastern access points like Blind Man's Cove before traversing the island's stone paths.
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