Distance: 3.4 kilometres / 2.1 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Low cliffs and farmland dominate this short-but-sweet walk in the Llaneilian area, a spread-out settlement with no real centre. Packed with great scenery and fascinating local history, this walk offers a great taster of this corner of Anglesey. Though short, this walk has a challenging hill with a potentially difficult descent.

Directions

Car park to Point Lynas

Turn right out of the car park and walk down the road to the beautiful cove of Porth Eilian.

Staying on the road, turn right and follow the road up the slope, past the point (on the right) at which you will re-join the route on the return leg, and after 300m turn right through a kissing-gate.

If you wish, you may continue along this road to make an out-and-back detour to Point Lynas Lighthouse. The headland has some stunning views along the coast

Point Lynas to the old telegraph station

Follow the footpath on the right side of the field eastwards towards the coast. With the wall on your right go through a kissing-gate at the end of the field and bear right down the hill to the sea, and the inlet of Porth y Corgwl.

Follow the coast with the sea on your left and go through a kissing-gate into the next field. Go straight across the field and through another kissing-gate. Bear right a short distance up the hill to the next kissing-gate.

Follow the right-hand edge of this field up to a metal kissing-gate at the right-hand corner of the field. There is a bench here for you to catch your breath and to admire the sea view behind you.

Bear left across the next field moving diagonally up the hill past the way marker to the stile at the left-hand corner. You will then go uphill through some gorse.

Follow the main track and look out for the yellow waymarker. At the top turn right and follow the wall (the Old Telegraph Station is the white house on the left) and walk between the two fences and over another stile.

Walk past the outbuilding on your left, and go over the metal stile at a crossroads in the footpaths onto the track.

If you wish to reach the summit of Mynydd Eilian, follow the path straight on at this crossroads. Cross the track, turn right on joining a lane, and then turn left up to the summit.

Old telegraph station to car park

Turn right down the track. Where the drive bends left at the entrance to Refail Hir, bear right down a hedge-lined path.

Please note: This is steep in places, and potentially wet and muddy after prolonged rain.

Shortly on your left there is an area of trees Coed Avens owned and managed by the Woodland Trust to which the public has access. Carry on down the path until you meet a track.

Turn right onto it then very soon afterwards turn left over stone steps and through a gate into a field. Go down the left side of the field and over a stile. Bear right and follow the right-hand fence line to a kissing-gate.

Continue along the fence line to the next kissing-gate in the right-hand corner, then bear left downhill to the stepped stone stile by the bridge.

Go over this stile onto the road, turn left and follow the road back up the hill to the car park.

Further information on this walk

History and interest

• Porth Llaneilian is a charming, sheltered sand-and-shingle cove, ideal for sailing, kayaking and diving.
• The current Point Lynas Lighthouse was built in 1835 and replaced an earlier tower built in 1779 located 300m further south. The light was electrified in 1952 and became fully automated in 1989. The Telegraph Station was moved here in 1879 from its site further up the hill.
• Tyllau Duon (meaning Black Holes) is the site of a former slate quarry. Work-faces, an access track, and a flight of steps cut into the cliff giving access from the sea, can still just be made out.
• Coed Avens is a relatively new area of woodland planted with a variety of native trees providing a diverse habitat.
• The Old Telegraph Station marks the highest point of this walk, and is now a private home. Built in 1841 it was one of 12 such stations on the North Wales coast.
• Mynydd Eilian, just a short detour to the south-west, is the second-highest peak on the Isle of Anglesey at 177m. Mynydd Bodafon is 1m higher. Holyhead Mountain - located on Holy Island - is the highest point in the County of Anglesey at 220m.

Wildlife

Grey seals are a common sight in the bay, while dolphins or porpoises can often be spotted out at sea off the headland.

The low clifftops and promontories are good places to see chough and ravens, while oystercatchers and other wading birds can be seen along the shoreline.

Public transport

No.31 bus from Amlwch to Rhosgoch stops at St. Eilian’s Church which is a short distance from the start of this walk.

Refreshments

There are no shops, cafés or pubs. The nearest facilities are in Amlwch 4km away.