Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), drawn by Global Adventurer.
The walk
The walk starts from the pay-and-display parking at South Stack, beside the RSPB's Ellin's Tower on the cliffs at the west end of Holyhead Island. It first goes to the viewpoint over South Stack, the island with its lighthouse, completed in 1809 (the 390-odd steps down to the footbridge are not part of this walk). The Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path then leads north along the cliffs above Gogarth Bay, past the ruined Capel Llochwydd and the old telegraph signal station, to the slopes of Holyhead Mountain. The path climbs to the summit, Mynydd Twr, 220 m, the highest point in Anglesey, where the walls of the Iron Age hill fort Caer y Twr lie round the top, and comes down past the Iron Age hut circles of Tŷ Mawr and by a track and South Stack Road to the car park.
It is 5.5 km with 224 m of ascent; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Easy.
The cliffs are not fenced: stay on the path and well back from the edge, above all in wind or wet, and keep dogs under control in the breeding season, when about 8,000 seabirds nest on the cliffs. The summit section is rough and stony, and the paths on the mountain can be hard to follow in mist. The last kilometre is on South Stack Road, which has no pavement.
The South Stack parking charges. The RSPB has a visitor centre and bird hide at Ellin's Tower.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- South Stack lighthouse was completed in 1809 and stands 41 m above the sea on its island, which a footbridge reaches down more than 390 stone steps
- The cliffs are an RSPB reserve with an estimated 8,000 nesting seabirds in the breeding season, mostly guillemots and razorbills
- Holyhead Mountain, 220 m, is the highest point in Anglesey and has an Iron Age hill fort, Caer y Twr, on its summit
- On clear days Ireland and the Wicklow Mountains can be seen across the Irish Sea
Summits on the way
- Holyhead Mountain [Mynydd Twr] 220 m
Getting there
Start: South Stack car park · Pay and display. 53.30647, -4.69341
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Holyhead: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line is drawn along OpenStreetMap paths and the figures are worked out from it; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.