A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
The Skelligs
Skellig Michael and Little Skellig can be seen at numerous viewing points along the coast. They suddenly appear as you turn a corner and appear like diamonds in the rough lost in the Atlantic Ocean.
The monastic complex lies 12km off the south west of Ireland on a rocky pinnacle and dates to the 6th or 7th century.
Skellig Michael & The Little Skelligs
The Monastic Complex
The monastic enclosure consists of six beehive shaped huts of mortarless stone construction, two oratories and a church. According to the annals, the Vikings raised in 812 and 823 and found an established community.
618 Handcarved Steps
Skellig Michael has twin peaks rising to 220 metres and 200 metres out of the Atlantic. Underwater, their steep cliffs plunge a further 50 metres before they merge into the vast plain of the Continental shelf. A visit to the monastery at the top of the island will entail a climb of 618 steps ascending over 600ft (180 metres).
A Wildlife Sanctuary
The Little Skellig is one of the most important sites for nesting birds in Ireland. It is home to thousands of gannets, puffins, guillemots and cormorants, with more than 20,000 pairs of gannets during the summer nesting season.