South Stack Cliffs

Address: RSPB South Stack, S Stack Rd, Holyhead LL65 1YH

Grid ref: SH211818

What3Words: devalued.glimmers.talkers

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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.

Please note that we do not allow dogs inside the Visitor Centre, assistance dogs are allowed. Dogs are permitted on footpaths across the whole reserve, this includes inside Ellin's Tower. Please keep them under control.

Plan your visit

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

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
Guided walks
Viewing point
Nature trails
Shop
Play area

Accessibility

Download full accessibility statement (PDF)

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.

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Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 332Kb

South Stack Cliffs trail guide

Contact South Stack Cliffs

RSPB South Stack, S Stack Rd, Holyhead LL65 1YH
south.stack@rspb.org.uk
01407 762100

What will you see?

Our star species

Chough

The chough is the rarest member of the crow family in the UK.

Guillemot

Although ungainly on land, under water these birds are agile and manoeuvrable.

Peregrine falcon

They are a regular sight overhead when a pair is nesting in the area.

Puffin

Enjoy the comical antics of puffins in spring and early summer.

Razorbill

Razorbills spend most of their lives at sea in the Atlantic, only coming to land to breed between March and July.

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

South Stack Visitor Centre

The redevelopment of the Visitor Centre is now complete with much-improved facilities. We’ve created a new café seating area that opens onto a decking area with spectacular views of the Irish Sea. Our café serves up a true taste of Anglesey using the best local produce while showcasing how food, farming and nature can work in unison, and how we can easily adapt our food system to support a countryside full of wildlife.

We’ve also taken this opportunity to make some environmental improvements. We’ve done small changes to save money and reduce carbon, such as insulating roofs and walls and installing double-glazed windows. We’ve also installed an air source heat pump, solar panels and a natural water treatment system that harnesses the power of nature to clean up the wastewater from our Visitor Centre.

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.

We have also received generous funding from the Gaynor Cemlyn-Jones Trust for the installation of wooden sculptures, created by Anglesey artist Duncan Kitson, that celebrates the wildlife of South Stack.

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).

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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 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. 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

South Stack Cliffs