National Trust - Farne Islands

The Farne Islands sit about three miles offshore from Seahouses, a proper wild spot that you can only reach by boat. These rocky outcrops in the North Sea are run by the National Trust and home to thousands of seabirds - puffins, guillemots, razorbills, and kittiwakes mostly - plus grey seals hauled out on the rocks below. You don't land everywhere; some islands are off-limits during breeding season, but Inner Farne and Staple Island are usually accessible from May through October when the boat operators run regular crossings.

Expect to spend three to four hours total, though the actual island time depends on which you visit and how long the skipper lets you linger. Inner Farne has the ruins of a medieval chapel and a lighthouse cottage - atmospheric stuff if you like that sort of thing. The seabird colonies are the real draw though. Standing on a narrow cliff edge with puffins nesting in burrows at your feet is genuinely thrilling, and the noise is something else.

It's best for older kids and adults who don't mind boat journeys; younger children can find the wait for decent weather frustrating, and the crossing itself gets rough in a swell. Admission includes the landing fee with the boat operator. Several caravan parks cluster within five miles of Seahouses - Seafield, Clifftop & Stone Close, and Bamburgh Under Canvas all make decent bases for tackling the islands and exploring the Northumberland coast properly.