Holy Island shuttle bus is taken on by Berwick firm

A new bus service will now provide a daily connection between Holy Island and the mainland.
Hopper busHopper bus
Hopper bus

As well as running the new Lindisfarne Hopper service from Haggerston Castle to Holy Island, Berwick firm Woody’s Taxis will also operate the popular Castle Shuttle between the island’s main car park and Lindisfarne Castle.

The Lindisfarne Hopper service will run daily between the holiday park at Haggerston Castle and Holy Island. The new service will connect with north and southbound Arriva express services at Beal Services.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Steven Wood, from Woody’s Taxis, said: “The previous Castle Shuttle provider decided to cease operating when Lindisfarne Castle closed for 18 months to enable the renovations to take place.

“I thought that we could operate the Castle Shuttle and provide a service back and forward to the mainland.

“Northumberland County Council have helped with timetables and we are now up and running.

“The new service will be great for people visiting our area without a car or those wanting a car-free day,” he added.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Walkers on the long distance paths or doing the Pilgrim’s Way across the mudflats will also find the bus very useful. The bus will provide a vital lifeline to people living on the Island who only had a bus service twice week before we started”.

Iain Robson, from the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership, who chairs the Holy Island Partnership, said: “Holy Island is an amazing place and hundreds of thousands of people come to visit every year.

“The vast majority of our visitors arrive by car which does cause problems on the busiest days. Providing opportunities to come to Holy Island without a car makes for a better experience for visitors and Islanders and helps to protect this fragile place.

“We urge everyone working in the tourism industry to promote this new service to their customers. A personal recommendation combined with the provision of accurate information are the best ways to encourage visitors to get out of their cars and onto the bus.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The new service will run between now and and the end of October

The causeway to Holy Island is tidal which means timetables will change daily.

Timetables for the new service can be found at www.berwickupontweedtaxis.co.uk or via the Woody’s Taxis Facebook page.