Farne Islands & Longstone Lighthouse: 2-Hour Boat Tour from Seahouses

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Free cancellationExcellent qualityLikely to sell out

1/6

Duration2h

GroupUp to 74

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Stand on Longstone Island Where Grace Darling Launched Her Rescue

You board a boat at Seahouses and travel 2 hours around the Farne Islands, landing on Longstone Island itself—the only operator with this access. Walk the full island with George, the current lighthouse attendant, see the seabird colonies and grey seal colony, and choose whether to enter Grace Darling's Lighthouse (small optional fee). The boat returns to Seahouses by mid-afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Longstone Island and Lighthouse

Arrive at Longstone Island
Optional tour inside Grace Darling's Lighthouse
Walk around island if not touring lighthouse
Observe Grey Seal Colony
Take comprehensive island tour with expert guide
Traverse Grace Darling's rescue route
See seabirds nesting on cliffs
Learn local history and stories from guide

The Experience

The boat cuts through the North Sea toward the Farne Islands, and within minutes the lighthouse appears—white and solitary on the rocky outcrop. George, the Trinity House lighthouse attendant who skippers this boat, is the only guide with actual access to Longstone Island itself. He knows the rescue route Grace Darling took in 1838 because he lives it; he tends the light, walks the rocks, reads the weather the way she did. The 2-hour trip circles all the islands first—you'll see the seabirds packed onto the cliff faces, the grey seal colony hauled out on the rocks, the smaller lighthouses marking the shipping lanes. Then the boat lands at Longstone, and you step onto the island itself.

Once ashore, George walks you around the full island with the kind of detail only someone who works there can offer. He points out where the lifeboat was launched, the angles of the cliffs, the seal pups if the season is right. The grey seal colony is substantial—they're used to visitors but still wild, and you'll see them shift and bark as the group passes. If you want to go inside Grace Darling's Lighthouse, there's an optional fee paid in cash on the day, and it goes to charity; if you'd rather not, you can walk the island while others are inside. Dogs are welcome on a lead, and they're the only pets allowed on any of the Farne Islands, which matters if you travel with one.

The boat leaves from Seahouses, a small fishing village on the Northumberland coast about 30 minutes north of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. George runs a family operation—he's genuinely invested in the area and the stories. The seabirds alone are worth the crossing: guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, puffins in season, all nesting on the cliff faces so close you can hear them. The grey seals are curious and loud. And the lighthouse, when you're standing next to it on the island, feels less like a tourist stop and more like a place where something real happened, and still happens every day.

What’s included

Your 2-hour trip includes boat transport from Seahouses, landing on Longstone Island, a complete tour of the island with expert commentary from George (the Trinity House lighthouse attendant), views of seabird colonies and the grey seal colony, and access to walk around the island.
The optional lighthouse interior tour is a small additional fee paid in cash on the day and supports charity.
Dogs on leads are welcome.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Golden Gate Farne Islands Boat Trips

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to actually land on Longstone Island and hear the lighthouse story from the person who tends it—George's access and knowledge are what make the difference between a boat tour and a real visit to the place.