The Island of Lindisfarne

The Island of Lindisfarne or Holy Island is an amazing place that can only be reached at low tide by a causeway. It has a very colourful history from St. Cuthbert to the first Viking raids.

The Origin Story

The building you see here is a 16th Century Tudor Fortress, although it was repurposed many times over the years including becoming an Edwardian holiday home.

The remains of St Cuthbert's Priory can be found in the village. There was a monastery here from AD635 until the Viking raid of AD793. The surviving monks fled with St. Cuthberts body and the famous illuminated gospels.

The monks were also famous for their mead, which was made with fermented honey, water and yeast. These days the more touristy versions of the mead are made by St Aiden's Winery and use fermented honey, white grape juice, herbs and neutral spirits.

Key Locations

Lindisfarne Castle is a 16th-century Tudor fort perched on a volcanic crag on Holy Island off the coast of Northumberland, England, later transformed into an Edwardian holiday home by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens

Lindisfarne Castle

The monastery was founded by St Aidan in about 635, an offshoot of Scotland’s celebrated Iona community. The monastery was made really famous by its sixth abbot, St Cuthbert, whose tomb became the scene of many miracles following his death in 687.

Lindisfarne Priory

Lindisfarne Mead is a unique alcoholic fortified wine manufactured here on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. The honey which is used in the production of Lindisfarne Mead is drawn from the four corners of the world and here, on the island, it is vatted with fermented grape juice, honey, herbs, and the pure natural water of an artesian well and fortified with fine spirits to produce this unique drink.

St Aiden's Winery

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