Remote island with more sheep than people and no electricity needs new tenants

The ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ is to managed sheep and cattle on Ynys Enlli, also known as Bardsey Island, which lies off the Llyn Peninsula in north Wales

A family is being sought to work on a remote island off Britain with no electricity, shops, schools or cars. The job opportunity is for Ynys Enlli, also known as Bardsey Island, which lies off the Llyn Peninsula in north Wales to manage its 200 sheep and 25 Welsh Black cattle.

For the first time in nearly 20 years, the island’s owners are seeking a nature-loving family or couple to manage the animals. They’re inviting expressions of interest for a tenancy that presents a unique set of challenges but has been branded the “opportunity of a lifetime”.

Officials are seeking a family or a couple to join the small community of the island, which has more sheep than humans, and live virtually off grid. It is a conservation farming role and part of a joint venture between the farming tenant and the Bardsey Island Trust.

Since 2007 the land has been farmed by Gareth Roberts – who has been visiting Enlli since 1973. Closer to Ireland than to England, Ynys Enlli has no electricity, cars and telephones. All washing is done by hand and the toilets are composting.

The role involves joining a permanent seasonal community of 12 who work the land and sea, welcome visitors and protect the heritage and wildlife. The timeline for this opportunity is to move to the two-mile-long sliver of land in September 2026.

A spokesperson for the Bardsey Island Trust, which owns and manages the island, said: “Enlli is a unique place and Gareth knows it inside out. He has agreed to mentor the new farming tenants – a handover period if you like. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime.

“We’re looking for a family or a couple with farming experience. Ideally, they will be Welsh speakers as that’s the island’s day-to-day 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.”

Enlli, legendary burial site of 20,000 saints, is also a deeply spiritual place, having attracted pilgrims since Celtic times. Reaching the land can involve a ferry ride across the notoriously treacherous Bardsey Sound.

Details can be found on the Trust’s website at www.enlli.org.

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