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Skellig Michael (Irish: Sceilg Mhichíl): Skellig Michael is a small island in the Atlantic Ocean, about 12 km west of County Kerry in Ireland. It is the larger of the two Skellig Islands: Skellig Michael and Little Skellig. The Skellig Islands are steep rocky islands in the Atlantic Ocean. A monastery was founded on Skellig Michael in the 7th century. It remained occupied until the 12th century. The monastery is perched on the 230 m high rock of Skellig Michael. The setting is spectacular. The 'Stairway to Heaven' is leading to the monastery of Skellig Michael, 600 steps up to the top of the cliff, it was constructed by the monks more than thousand years ago. It is possible to visit Skellig Michael. The boat trip only takes place when the sea conditions are good enough to land safely at the small concrete pier in Blind Man's Cove on Skellig Michael. Skellig Michael became a UNESCO World Heritage in 1996. Name change in 2012: Skellig Michael into Sceilg Mhichíl. Work of Art: Skellig Michael 'Stairway to Heaven' 

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   Skellig Michael (Irish: Sceilg Mhichíl): The monument at Telegraph Field on Valentia Island, here the first permanent transatlantic telegraph cable was successfully completed in 1866, stretching from Valentia Island to Newfoundland in Canada. The Skellig Islands in the background, Skellig Michael and Little Skellig, about 12 km off the west coast of Ireland. The Skelligs are two small rocky islands in the Atlantic Ocean, situated at the western edge of Europe.

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   Skellig Michael - Sceilg Mhichíl: An amazing boat trip over the Atlantic Ocean to the tiny island of Skellig Michael. The boat trip was frequently canceled due to the weather conditionse, we had to wait three days before the sea conditions were good enough and made it possible to land safely at the small concrete pier in Blind Man's Cove, one of the few sheltered places around the rocky island. The boat trip to Skellig Michael last about 45 minutes.

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   Skellig Michael: The small boat docked beside the small pier in Blind Man's Cove. The only way to reach Skellig Michael is by a small fishing boat, only a few fishing boats have a permit to land twelve passengers each on the Island. In Portmagee is one of the departure points to visit and land on Skellig Michael. The boat trip only takes place when the sea conditions are good enough to land on Skellig Michael.

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   Skellig Michael or Sceilg Mhichíl: Little Skellig viewed from the Lighthouse Road, the mainland in the far distance. The Lighthouse Road runs along the east and the south edge of Skellig Michael, from Blind Man's Cove to the ruins of the Upper Lighthouse. In 1826, two lighthouses were built on Skellig Michael. The Lower Lighthouse, also known as the Skellig Lighthouse, is still in use and was modernized in the 1960s.

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   Skellig Michael - Sceilg Mhichíl: The 'Stairway to Heaven' is leading to the St. Fionan's Monastery on the rocky outcrop of Skellig Michael. Climbing the stairway to the monastery over 600 steps up to the top of the cliff and monastery is not easy. There are no safety rails, some of the stones of the steps are loose. The 'Stairway to Heaven' was constructed by the monks more than 1000 years ago. Climbing the steps, take care at all times. Sturdy shoes are recommended.

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   Skellig Michael, in Irish Sceilg Mhichíl: Four adorable puffins. Thousands of puffins spend their summers on the island of Skellig Michael. The puffins arrive in April and leave in August. Skellig Michael is one of the most important locations for nesting seabirds in Ireland, numerous puffins nest in small holes alongside the stairway, they are often within arm's length of visitors. Skellig Michael (Irish: Sceilg Mhichíl) was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.

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   Skellig Michael - Sceilg Mhichíl: The 'Stairway to Heaven' just before Christ's Saddle, a narrow gap between two steep cliffs. The stairway is leading up to the ruins of the monastery on top of Skellig Michael. On top of the rock, there are the beehive huts situated in the medieval monastic settlement. A visit to Skellig Michael is a thrilling adventure for those who do not suffer from the fear of heights.

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   Skellig Michael, in Irish Sceilg Mhichíl: On the left hand side the monastery of Skellig Michael, on the right hand side Little Skellig. The Skellig Islands, Skellig Michael and Little Skellig, are steep rocky islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Skellig Michael is also known as Great Skellig, Little Skellig is also known as Skellig Beag. The Skelligs are famous for their huge colonies of breeding seabirds. The Skelligs Islands are among the most important bird reserves of Ireland.

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   Skellig Michael - Sceilg Mhichíl: The dry-stone walls and the entrance to the ancient monastery of Skellig Michael, the medieval chapel of the monastery was dedicated to St. Michael sometime before 1044. No more than twelve monks and an abbot lived here at any given moment. Skellig Michael was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996. In 2012, the name on the list was changed into Sceilg Mhichíl, the Irish name of the island.

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    Skellig Michael (Irish: Sceilg Mhichíl): The remains of the medieval chapel of the monastery. Two lighthouses were built on Skellig Michael in 1826. The lighthouse keepers and their families lived on the rocky island. One of the lighthouse keepers buried two of his infant sons, who died of an illness, inside the chapel and covered their graves with a gravestone. One of the boys died at the age of two in 1868, the other boy died at the age of four in 1869.

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    Skellig Michael - Sceilg Mhichíl: The small beehive-shaped oratory. The small and rocky island of Skellig Michael was the destination af a small group of monks. In this inaccessible island on the edge of the world the monks sought for greater union with God. The monks managed to survive by eating seabirds, eggs, fish and by collecting rain water in cisterns. On small plots lof land they grew vegetables.

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    Skellig Michael (Irish: Sceilg Mhichíl): The ancient monastery on Skellig Michael was constructed in the 7th century, it is perched at a 230 metres high rock. The monastery consist of several dry-stone beehive huts, called clocháns. The Vikings plundered all over Ireland more than thousand years ago. Skellig Michael was also raided several times. Due to Viking raids, the harsh climate and numerous heavy storms, the monastery was abandoned in the 12th century.

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    Skellig Michael - Sceilg Mhichíl: Three beehive-shaped huts perched on the 230 metres high rock of Skellig Michael. The stone dwellings are called beehive huts because of the conical shape, the beehive huts were built without the use of mortar. The monastery consists of a beehive-shaped church, two small oratories or chapels, a graveyard and six beehive huts to house the monks. At Needle's Eye is another oratory, but this is not accessible anymore.

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    Skellig Michael - Sceilg Mhichíl: Little Skellig and the western coast of Ireland seen from the top of Skellig Michael. Gannets can be seen off all coastal areas in Ireland throughout the year, but the best place to see gannets is at Little Skellig. Little Skellig is home to one of the largest colony of gannets in the world. The Skellig Islands are both famous for their large colonies of seabirds such as the puffin, gannet, northern fulmar and razorbill.

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    Skellig Michael - Sceilg Mhichíl: The High Cross is known as the Priest's Stone, it is situated in the graveyard of the monks. The Priest's Stone stands next to the St. Michael's Church, the beehive-shaped church. A number of crosses have been found on Skellig Michael. After his visit to Skellig Michael in 1910, the Nobel Prize winning Irish playwriter George Bernard Shaw called the island 'the most fantastic and impossible rock in the world'.

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    Skellig Michael - Sceilg Mhichíl: The hard struggle down the more than 600 steps of the ancient dry-stone stairway. There are a number of stairways on Skellig Michael, the north steps, the east steps and the south steps, the so-called 'Stairway to Heaven', the visitor's route today. The north and east stairways are dangerous, the access is nowadays blocked by fencing. Sceilg Mhichíl was declared a UNESCO World Heritage in 1996.

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    Gannets on Little Skellig, the sky around the island was also full of flying gannets, on the right hand side Skellig Michael (Irish: Sceilg Mhichíl) is disappearing in the distance. With its covering of white guano and seabirds, Little Skellig is rising from the Atlantic Ocean like an iceberg. Little Skellig is home to the largest colony of gannets in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It is not allowed to moor on Little Skellig.

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    Skellig Islands: Little Skellig on the left hand side and Skellig Michael on the right hand side. On the boat journey back to the mainland of Ireland, we passed Little Skellig. The day trip to Skellig Michael was one of the highlights of our visit to Ireland. Skellig Michael is also known as Sceilg Mhichíl (Irish). The crossing over the Atlantic can be very rough. For a day trip to Skellig Michael, early booking is recommended.