Lindisfarne
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Alternatively, you could stay on Holy Island itself. There's plenty of good accommodation available and you can explore at your leisure.
Allow at least 4 hours for your visit, at that rate you may even want to come back for a second look.
And if you want to see the place a little more like it might have been when St Aidan and his monks worked and lived on the island, then avoid the height of the summer and the school holidays.
Lindisfarne History
The island is famous for its association with St Aidan and St Cuthbert, but humans have lived here long before the first Anglo-Saxons named the island Lindisfarne.
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The time of Early Christianity was very much a time of study and contemplation.
Books - and the wisdom contained within them - were precious commodities, highly prized by abbots and kings alike. Books were written and copied by hand, decorated with exquisite illustrations, bound in finely worked leather, metal and gemstones.
The Lindisfarne Gospels, an illuminated manuscript of great beauty, show the level of devotion and craftsmanship achieved on the island.
Probably produced for St Cuthbert, they survived the Viking attacks of 793 and all subsequent strife.
And while the original is in the British Museum, you can admire a very good copy in the island museum and learn about the history of the island and the threat posed by the Viking invaders.
After the Norman Conquest the island fell to the Bendictine monks of Durham, in whose shrine St Cuthberh lay buried.
Continuing the tradition,they built the second monastery here. While St Aidan's foundation had suffered greatly at the hands of the Vikings, the Benedictine house was caught in the endless wars between England and Scotland. It was eventually dissolved by Henty VIII in 1536, but its ruins still stand on the island, hinting at the sight it may once have presented.
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Lindisfarne Castle
One of the most distinctive features of the island, the small castle - built in 1550 to defend the area from Scottish and Spanish attacks - can be seen for miles along the Northumbrian coast.
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But when you step inside - the property is managed by the National Trust and can be visited - you'll see little evidence of a Tudor castle.
Instead, you'll step into all the charm and novelty of an Edwardian weekend retreat.
Sir Edwin Lutyens took on the task to convert the Tudor fort in 1902 and made a success of the tiny rooms, narrow passages and outstanding views.
But the best feature of the design - for me at least - is not actually in the castle. And unless you visit the castle and admire the views, you may actually miss it.
In 1911, Gertrude Jekyll redesigned the castle's walled vegetable garden into a small jewel box. Huddled in the shelter of the dunes and almost impossible to see from ground level, it's one of the most amazing things I've ever found!
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Planted in silvers, gold and mauve, the garden contrasts beautifully with the landscape and - looking back out - the rugged castle, perched atop its outcrop of volcanic rocks.
Beyond the castle and its tiny garden lie the dunes of the island's nature reserve. Birdwatchers visit here to study both breeding and migratory birds, but the softly rolling landscape of sand and grasses can also form a peaceful backdrop for an afternoon stroll.
Make sure you also visit the island's harbour, where boats still land the daily catch of crab and lobster, and St Aidan's Winery, where you can sample an ancient (and recently revived) local delicacy: Lindisfarne Mead.
The best way to see Lindisfarne - and to really catch its spirit - is to rent a cottage on the mainland and make your way across at low water whenever the fancy takes you. Check out the vast selection of holiday cottages in Northumberland here.
For other places to explore in this beautiful county, return from Lindisfarne to the Northumberland page.
Or check out Images of Northumberland for some wonderful photos and posters.
