Welsh island Ynys Enlli is the first Dark Sky Sanctuary in Europe
It is best known for having only four inhabitants and possibly 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 island in Wales officially has one of the best night skies in the world.
It is the first site in Europe to receive International Dark Sky Sanctuary (IDSS) certification, joining 16 other sites worldwide recognized as the most remote and dark places on Earth.
The trust that owns Ynys Enlli – home to just a handful of residents but with no mains electricity, cars or indoor toilets – said achieving such “prestigious status” was a “massive achievement”.
Known as ‘the island of 20,000 saints’ because of the supposed number of graves and the Celtic and Christian monasteries that have been located there since the 6th century, evidence suggests that Bardsey was inhabited as far back as the Bronze Age.
Starry Night: Ynys Enlli, or Bardsey Island, off the coast of North Wales, is the first site in Europe to receive International Dark Sky Sanctuary certification, joining 16 others worldwide
Remote: The trust that owns Ynys Enlli – home to just a handful of residents but no mains electricity, cars or indoor toilets – said gaining such “prestige status” was a “massive achievement”
In the early Middle Ages, the island was one of the holiest places in Britain even believe it to be the final resting place of the legendary King Arthur.
There are two main factors that make Ynys Enlli one of the darkest places in the UK.
The first is the location – two miles from the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales – and the second is the location geographical features.
The island’s mountain acts as a barrier to limit light from the mainland, which means the most significant light pollution comes from Dublin more than 70 miles (112.6 km) across the Irish Sea.
Sian Stacey, Chairman of the Bardsey Island Trust, said: ‘There is no doubt that achieving this prestigious status for Ynys Enlli will raise the island’s profile as a unique place in Wales and one of the best in the world for night watching. appreciate heaven.
“We hope it will also make a major contribution to securing the long-term sustainability of the island.”
Wales already has several Dark Sky sites and reserves, but sites designated as sanctuaries are much rarer and have stricter criteria for 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 farm the land and fish from the island.
There are also 10 holiday homes, with visitors allowed between March and October.
The tiny community is only accessible by boat from a small mainland fishing village, but centuries ago the stretch of land was one of Britain’s most important religious sites.
The 1.5-mile island was a Christian pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages – when it was said that three visits to Bardsey equaled one visit to Rome.
Mari Huws is one of the security guards at Ynys Enlli and has been part of the lengthy certification process.
“When I live here, I’m always in awe of the island’s beauty — and the night sky is a big part of that,” she said.
“Having obtained certification, we look forward to welcoming visitors here in the coming months and years and sharing our unique story with them.
Close-knit: Ynys Enlli’s population 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 center 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 equaled one visit to Rome
‘We knew we lived in a special place, this new status confirms this, with IDSS firmly putting Enlli on the global stage.
“In an increasingly polluted world, it is a privilege to be able to work to protect something that is pristine for future generations.”
It took the trust four years to receive its rare certification, which was confirmed using monitoring of the island’s night sky to show it was sufficiently dark.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ynys Ellis to the growing community of dark sky places around the world,” said Ruskin Hartley, Executive Director of the International Dark-Sky Association.
“With this, Wales is fast becoming one of the leading countries in protecting dark skies as a precious resource that benefits people and wildlife.”
Ynys Enlli is said to have become an important religious center in the 6th century when Einon, King of Llyn, invited the Breton St Cadfan to Bardsey.
Together they built St Mary’s Abbey, which was home to a community of 2,500 monks during the 7th century.
It is believed that many of them indicated that they wanted to be buried on Bardsey, which may be why the country is known in folklore as the ‘Island of 20,000 Saints’.
This story is honored in a chapel graveyard, where an inscription reads, “Respect the remains of 20,000 saints buried near this spot.”
It may seem like a stretch that such a huge population is hidden beneath an island just 1.5 miles long, but locals believe you can dig and find a body anywhere on Bardsey.
In an excavation near the modern chapel in the 1990s, archaeologists even unearthed 25 medieval tombs.
St Mary’s Abbey prospered until 1537 – when it was destroyed by Henry VIII in his Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries.
Legend has it that the island was one of the holiest places in Britain in the early Middle Ages, with some even believing it was the final resting place of the legendary King Arthur (pictured)