In 1927, Welsh naturalist Ronald Lockley moved his family onto an uninhabited island; he later helped create Britain’s first bird observatory there

In 1927, a twenty-three-year-old Welsh naturalist named Ronald Lockley moved with his family to Skokholm Island, where he later helped establish Britain's first bird observatory. Seeking a life devoted to nature and self-reliance, Lockley leased Skokholm Island, a windswept 200-acre island four miles off the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales. At the time, the island was uninhabited and could be reached only by navigating strong tidal currents in a small open boat. Its sole major human structure was an abandoned, roofless stone farmhouse that had fallen into deep disrepair. Undeterred by the severe isolation and harsh maritime climate, Lockley moved onto the island alongside his wife Doris, determined to rebuild the stone cottage and establish a working homestead.

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