Ramsey Island

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Ramsey Island from north of Porth Lleuog

Ramsey Island from Porthmelgan

Ramsey Island (Welsh: Ynys Dewi) is an island about 1 km off the coast of the St David's peninsula in Pembrokeshire on the northern side of St Brides Bay, in southwest Wales.

In Welsh the island is named after Saint David (Dewi Sant), the patron saint of Wales. It was the home of his confessor, Saint Justinian. The nearest town, strictly a city, is St Davids.

Ramsey Island is less than 3.2km (2 mi) long and its highest point is 136m (446 ft) above sea level. It is the third largest island in Wales, after Anglesey and Holy Island.

[edit] Nature Reserve

Owned by the RSPB, the island has spectacular sea bird cliffs, coastal scenery and heathland. Ramsey has the most important grey seal breeding colony in southern Britain, and is one of the best sites in Wales to see choughs.

Other breeding species include ravens, buzzards, peregrines, wheatears, gulls, auks, shearwaters and guillemots.

With a permanent population of just two human residents, (the RSPB warden and his wife who live in a farmhouse there), the island is otherwise uninhabited. Tourist boats sail to and around the island (7 days a week, Easter-31 October) from St Justinian's RNLI lifeboat station on the mainland.

Ramsey Island is surrounded by a number of smaller islands, islets and rock clusters, including :-

Bancyn-ffald
The Bitches tidal race
The Bishops and Clerks group, including:
- Carreg Rhoson and Maen Rhoson
- Carreg-trai
- Cribog
- Daufraich and Maen Daufraich
- Emsger or South Bishop
- Llechau-isaf and Llechau-uchaf
- Moelyn
- North Bishop
Carreg-gwylan
Meini Duon
The Bitches
Trwynmynachdy
Ynys Bery
Ynys Cantwr
Ynys Eilun and Pont yr Eilun
Ynys Gwelltog