Saturday was my first day walking since returning from the alps last weekend. Six days of up and down alpine passes had left my tendinitis in my achilles a little sore so I decided to do an easier walk and, as the family were staying in the Conway area for the week I headed to Holyhead to do a circuit of Holy Island. I had spent my childhood holidays in a caravan opposite Holyhead but, other than South Stack had never visited the coastline between Holyhead and Trearddur Bay.
Due to a 4 a.m. drop off at Liverpool airport I was walking shortly after six in complete peace, and, contrary to the last forecast I ahd seen, in beautiful sunshine
I parked just before Holyhead, so the first part of the walk took me through the town, past the ferry port and outer port, before taking me onto the coast proper.
Early morning coastline view of Holyhead breakwater
The sea was a perfect blue and extremely calm - very peaceful
View over the sea, Skerries and its lighthouse on the left and Carmel Head on the right
Looking back over the breakwater - I had never realised quite how bendy it is!
The path rises relatively gently giving wonderful sea views. After an hour or so North Stack is reached, with a fantastic view of its famous partner, South Stack
At this point i took in the peak of Holyhead Mountain and, in descending, managed to lose the path and found myself with hands on rock clambering over all sorts of unfriendly ground - gave the local dog walkers something to laugh about.
Next stop was the cliffs around south Stack;
This one looking back to North Stack
This one of guillemots I think (I'm no twitcher)
And a last one of South Stack
I continued round towards Trearddur Bay but, unfortunately the camera I have used for the last three years finally died!
Wonderful walk - beautiful scenery and a change from the high stuff - 14 miles with only 485 metres of vertical - felt positively bouncy at the end!