The long-term care of this internationally important wildlife sanctuary and site of rich cultural and scientific heritage is secured.
A nationally important island
Skokholm is a remote island nature reserve two miles off the coast of Wales. Known for its dramatic sandstone cliffs and grassland landscapes, it's a breeding home for tens of thousands of seabirds, including puffins, Manx shearwaters, razorbills, guillemots and storm petrels.
It's also significant for its history. Evidence of Bronze Age settlement has been found on Skokholm, and people have lived and farmed there since the Norman period. An 18th-century Grade II listed farmhouse remains at the heart of the island.
Skokholm became Britain's first bird observatory in 1933, where pioneering naturalist Ronald Lockley carried out influential research and writing. The island also inspired visits from Beatrix Potter, who sketched its wildlife in her personal correspondence.
Saving heritage at risk
The owners decided to sell the island in 2005. The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, who had leased and managed Skokholm for nearly 60 years, was their preferred buyer. However, a higher offer from a private purchaser placed the future of the island in doubt.
The Trust raised £450,000 and we bridged the gap with a £150,000 grant to match the competing private offer and buy the island at its full market value. Without our support, public access and the high standards of conservation that protect the island's wildlife and historic landscape were at risk.
Skokholm's important natural, cultural and scientific heritage is now secured for the future and people can continue to visit, study and stay on the island.