Anglesey
Rhoscolyn Head
A headland on Holy Island with a beacon, a holy well and some of the clearest water in Wales, on folded quartzite rock.
- Distance
- 4.3 mi / 7 km
- Time
- 2 hr 30
- Ascent
- 200 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
A circuit from the village round the head and back by the beach and lanes. Rocky in places with steady undulation.
Worth knowing
- The rock here is quartzite folded into extraordinary patterns, best seen at the head.
- Silver Bay and Borthwen are both good swimming beaches.
- St Gwenfaen’s well on the headland was reputed to cure mental illness.
What you’ll see
Folded quartzite, the beacon, the holy well, and the Llŷn across the water.
Background
The lifeboat station at Rhoscolyn operated from 1830 and its crews were repeatedly decorated for services in the Irish Sea.