What is Lindisfarne?
[[Image:Lindisfarne castle 3.jpg|thumbnail|Lindisfarne Castle]] [[File:Ordnance Survey One-Inch Sheet 64 Berwick-upon-Tweed, Published 1965.jpg|thumb|Map of the region, with Lindisfarne at the right edge]] '''Lindisfarne''' (often called '''Holy Island'''), is a [[tidal island]] off the north-east coast of [[England]]. It is connected to the mainland of [[Northumberland]] by a [[causeway]] and is cut off twice a day by tides – something well described by [[Walter Scott|Sir Walter Scott]]: :For with the flow and ebb, its style :Varies from continent to isle; :Dry shod o'er sands, twice every day, :The pilgrims to the shrine find way; :Twice every day the waves efface :Of staves and sandalled feet the trace. As of 27 March 2011, the island had a population of 180 ==Nature reserve== Large parts of the island, and all of the adjacent inter-tidal area, are protected as '''Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve''' to help safeguard the internationally important wintering [[bird]] populations. [[Grey seal]]s are frequent visitors to the rocky bays at high tide. ===Lindisfarne Priory=== [[File:Saint Aidan.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Aidan of Lindisfarne]] The [[Abbey|monastery]] of '''Lindisfarne''' was founded by [[Ireland|Irish]]-born [[Aidan of Lindisfarne|Saint Aidan]]. He was brought from [[Iona]] off the west coast of Scotland to [[Northumbria]] around AD 635 by King [[Oswald of Northumbria]]. It became the base for Christian evangelising in the North of England and also sent a successful mission to [[Mercia]]. Monks from the community of Iona settled on the island. [[Northumberland]]'s patron saint, [[Cuthbert|Saint Cuthbert]], was a monk and later [[Abbot]] of the [[monastery]], and his miracles and life are recorded by the [[Venerable Bede]]. Cuthbert later became Bishop of Lindisfarne. In the early 700s the famous [[illuminated manuscript]] known as the [[Lindisfarne Gospels]] (an illustrated Latin copy of the [[Gospels]] of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) was made, probably at Lindisfarne. Later, a monk named