A REMOTE island with no electricity or shops, is looking for unique individuals to live and work there.
Ynys Enlli, also known as Bardsey Island, is totally off-grid, with a current year-round population of just three people.
You can get paid to live on Britain’s most remote island with no internet and more sheep than people[/caption]
Ynys Enlli has been dubbed the “Island of 20,000 Saints” and is recognised as one of the holiest places in Britain[/caption]
In 2023, it also became the first International Dark Sky Sanctuary in Europe, meaning its unspoiled view of the night sky is protected for current and future generations.
Wales already had several Dark Sky places and reserves, but areas designated as sanctuaries are much rarer and have stricter criteria in terms of the quality of the night sky.
But the mountain on the island serves as an effective barrier, limiting light from the mainland.
The closest major light pollution comes from Dublin, which is over 70 miles across the Irish Sea.
And now, for the first time in almost 20 years, the Island trust is welcoming an adventurous family or couple to its shoreline – and the “opportunity of a lifetime”.
Bardsey Island Trust is asking for applicants and expects the successful person to settle on the island in September 2026.
The new residents will be responsible for managing 200 sheep and 25 Welsh Black cattle that graze there alongside current tenant famer Gareth Roberts, from Aberdaron.
Those interested in living there will only have the most basic of amenities, which include no shops and no schools.
There is also no wifi or electricity in the houses, and the water flows straight from a well – so you need to be hardy and prepared for that.
The tiny yet rugged island is only a mile and a half at its longest and a half mile at its widest.
There are also 10 holiday cottages, with visitors allowed on the island between March and October.
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.
And the 1821 lighthouse still stands at the southern end of the island.
“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.
A spokesperson for the Bardsey Island Trust said; “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.”
In 2023, it also became the first International Dark Sky Sanctuary in Europe, meaning its unspoiled view of the night sky is protected for current and future generations[/caption]
