A remote island off the coast of Wales that has no wifi or electricity and more sheep than humans is looking for new tenants to live and work there.
Ynys Enlli, which is situated off Gwynedd’s Llyn peninsula, has a current population of three people who manage the island, which measures just a mile-and-a-half at its longest and half a mile at its widest.
For the first time in almost 20 years, the opportunity for a nature-loving family or a couple to reside there has emerged, under the mentorship of current tenant farmer Gareth Roberts.
Also known as Bardsey Island in English, the new residents will be responsible for managing 200 sheep and 25 Welsh Black cattle that graze there.
Those interested in living there will have to survive with only the most basic of amenities, which include water running from a well, no shops and no schools.
There are also 10 holiday cottages, with visitors allowed on the island between March and October.
Throughout the centuries, Ynys Enlli has been dubbed the “Island of 20,000 Saints” and is recognised as one of the holiest places in Britain.
Since the second century BC, pilgrims have travelled to the island, while it has been a refuge for pirates and fishermen over the years.
“Gareth and his family have been there since 2007, and he knows the island intimately – and the challenges and benefits of living on Enlli,” the trust’s chief officer, Sian Stacey, told the BBC.
“We’re seeking a family or a couple with farming experience,” said a spokesperson for the Bardsey Island Trust. “Ideally, they will be Welsh speakers as that’s the island’s everyday language, and a significant part of its culture.
“For the new tenants, the biggest thing is being part of the community – being part of life on the island. The trust has a five-year conservation plan in place and there will be plenty of support for the tenants."
Ynys Enlli became the first International Dark Sky Sanctuary in Europe in 2023, recognising it for having one of the best night skies in the world.
It joined just 16 other sites, which have been described as the most remote and dark places on earth.
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