South Stack Cliffs

We are slowly opening our reserves and facilities in Wales in line with government guidance on Covid-19. Please check reserve pages for specific details.
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Address
RSPB South Stack, S Stack Rd, Holyhead LL65 1YH
Grid ref
SH211818
What3Words
devalued.glimmers.talkers
See our reserves Covid-19 updates page for which sites are open and other important details.

You'll find South Stack Cliffs on Holy Island in Anglesey, a wonderful reserve made up of heathland and farmland set on a stretch of dramatic sea cliffs which face the islets of South Stack. In spring, guillemots, razorbills and puffins breed on the iconic cliffs.  The rare chough can be seen swooping along the cliffs all year round.

Plan your visit

Opening times

Car park and trails open. All visitor facilities are open as usual.

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free, but donations are very welcome.
Children
Free, but donations are very welcome.
Car park cost

Free for members; charge for non members. See 'Full facilities information' (below) for details.

Facilities

  • Visitor centre
  • Car park
  • Toilets
  • Accessible toilets
  • Baby changing
  • Café
  • Picnic area
  • Binocular hire is closed
  • Guided walks is closed
  • Viewing points are closed
  • Nature trails
  • Shop
  • Play area

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

Holyhead is the nearest train station. There is no public transport to the reserve. Taxis are available from the station.

By bus

There is no public transport to the reserve.

By bike

The reserve is 3 miles from Route 8 of the National Cycle Network.

By road

Take the A55 across Anglesey directly into Holyhead and follow signs to the town centre. From here, the reserve is signposted on brown road signs and is about 3 miles away.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Get directions from Google Maps
View on What3Words
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 332Kb

South Stack Cliffs trail guide

Contact South Stack Cliffs

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Family arriving at a Travel Chapter cottage

Saving the nature that you love for future generations to enjoy. Make the most of your visit by staying in one of thousands of handpicked cottages across the UK. Simply book your stay here to support our partnership. Throughout 2021 holidaycottages.co.uk are supporting our conservation work – saving species and restoring habitats right across the UK at a time when the future of our planet has never been more important and protecting nature for future generations.

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What will you see?

Our star species

Seasonal highlights

Marvel at the wildflowers amid the cliff top. Look out for stonechats and linnets perched on top of bushes. As spring takes hold, watch out for choughs and ravens building their nests.

Ellin's Tower provides excellent views of the seabird city with guillemots, razorbills, puffins, kittiwake, fulmar and gulls. Spot razorbill and guillemot chicks on the cliff ledges. Listen for the distinctive calls of choughs.

Look out for family groups of choughs. In the tidal races just offshore, look out for feeding gannets, passing shearwaters, porpoises and dolphins.

Look out for flocks of feeding choughs on the RSPB managed farmland, which is managed to provide foraging opportunities for chough. Listen and look out for ravens as they display.

About South Stack Cliffs

Habitat

South Stack Cliffs is a reserve which encompasses the habitats of heathland, farmland, cliffs, coast and ocean.

Conservation

The reserve is especially important for its breeding choughs, with approximately 10 pairs. We are maintaining the heathland and farmland to provide suitable nesting and feeding conditions.

Healthy heath - The reserve’s heathland is part of the largest area of maritime heath in North Wales. Besides choughs, this important habitat supports the endemic plant spatulate fleawort, and the uncommon silver-studded blue butterfly, plus adders and common lizards. Controlled burning helps us to manage this habitat.

The sea cliffs provide nest sites for as many as 9,000 seabirds, including puffins, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwake and fulmars. Other birds to use this habitat include peregrines and ravens.

The scenic beauty of the reserve, together with its seabird spectacle, operational lighthouse and many sites of geological and archaeological interest, make it very popular with visitors. Around 180,000 people visit the reserve every year.

We are maintaining and enhancing our facilities, including Ellin's Tower, the visitor centre and our network of paths. We are also providing more information to help people to get the most from their visit, while promoting the aims of the RSPB. We run several events per year and encourage an active volunteer programme.

Partners

 

Rebuilding the Visitor Centre at South Stack

We are currently rebuilding the visitor centre at South Stack. This critical redevelopment of the site has been made possible with support through the Welsh Government Rural Communities Rural Development Programme 2014-20, funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government. Together with our own financial contribution, this redevelopment equates to over £1m investment in the site, and years of work to help ensure a quality attraction, safeguard jobs and visitor services in the area.

Site information

South Stack Cliffs is one of the best places for wildlife in the UK, and is designated as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Protected Area (SPA) and is in an Area of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB).

Latest forum posts

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Latest blog posts

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What people are saying about South Stack Cliffs

The views are excellent. From choughs and ravens to puffins and stonechats.

Johnny Mottershead

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

There are interactive materials available in Ellin's Tower with wonderful live images, telescopes and binoculars for you to use. Treasure hunt activities take place during school holidays. We always plan family-friendly events with activities tailored for children. There are iPads located in the cafe and Ellin's Tower. Ellin's Tower is open from Easter to the end of October. 

For more information on events and to book tickets, please visit events.rspb.org.uk/southstackcliffs