Skellig Michael in 3D

County Kerry · the monastery terrace

Off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland

Monks lived on Skellig Michael from about the 6th to the 12th century, in corbelled stone beehive cells on a terrace 180 m above the Atlantic, 12 km from the mainland. Each stone leans inward until the dome closes with no mortar at all. Across the water, the white on Little Skellig is some 70,000 nesting gannets.

Where: Off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland
Monastery: From about the 6th to the 12th century
Height: About 180 m above the Atlantic
Distance: About 12 km from the mainland
UNESCO World Heritage: 1996

Official site

Walk Skellig Michael in 3D

A real-time 3D model, built from open elevation data and published measurements. Loads 2.4 MB when you start.

Works in VR on Meta Quest and other WebXR headsets: open this page in the headset's browser, start the 3D walk, then choose View in VR.

Skellig Michael rendered in real-time 3D

Walk it yourself. Works on this phone.

Part of the Celtic Shores pack: a one-time unlock in this browser.

Terrain from open elevation data · a 3D reconstruction, not a photograph · tags as in the app

Hear the guide

The narrator from the app reads each tour stop. Transcripts below.

The beehive cells
Known0:18

Monks lived in these corbelled stone huts from about the 6th to the 12th century, 180 m above the Atlantic, 12 km from the mainland. Each stone leans inward until the dome closes with no mortar at all.
Little Skellig
Known0:10

The white on the neighbouring rock is not snow: some 70,000 gannets nest there, one of the largest colonies in the world.
Six hundred steps
Known0:14

Three stairways of hand-laid slabs climb from the landings. Visitors today are capped at 180 a day, weather allowing, and the island closes from October to May.

How to visit Skellig Michael

Landing trips run by licensed boats from the Kerry coast in summer only, weather allowing, with daily visitor numbers capped. The climb is some 600 uneven stone steps with no railings.

Opening times and tickets change: check the official site. Official site

Open Skellig Michael in Farstep

The full site on your phone: a narrated guided tour, passport stamps, offline, and smoother graphics than a browser can give.

Narrated guided tour, stop by stop, in nine languages
Passport stamps for every hotspot and finished tour
Works offline once installed
Stonehenge free; other sites are one-time packs. No ads, no subscription.

Open in Farstep

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On iPhone the button opens the App Store.

Skellig Michael: questions and answers

Can you visit Skellig Michael?

Only on licensed boats in summer, weather allowing, with daily numbers capped, and then up some 600 stone steps with no railings.

How old is the monastery on Skellig Michael?

Monks lived there from about the 6th to the 12th century, in mortarless beehive cells 180 m above the sea.

Can I walk around Skellig Michael in 3D?

Yes, in your browser. Everything on this page is free to read. Walking Skellig Michael in 3D is part of the Celtic Shores pack: a one-time purchase with no subscription, and signing in with the same account unlocks it in the Farstep app too.

Can I walk Skellig Michael in VR?

Yes, on a Meta Quest or another WebXR headset: open this page in the headset's browser, start the 3D walk, then choose View in VR. The left stick walks, the right stick turns and the trigger opens the fact cards.