Llŷn Peninsula
The Llŷn Peninsula extends out 30 miles into the Irish Sea from north west Wales, southwest of the island of Anglesey. The name is thought to be of Irish origin, and to have the same root as the word Leinster.
The peninsula was traditionally traversed by pilgrims to Ynys Enlli/Bardsey Island, and is now a popular holiday destination.
It is an area with a large number of protected sites including a National Nature Reserve at Cors Geirch, a National Heritage Coastline and a European Marine Special Area of Conservation as well as 20 Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Much of the coastline and the ex-volcanic hills are part of the Llŷn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), confirming the areas landscape quality to be some of the best in Britain.
Its relative isolation has helped to conserve the Welsh language and culture. A survey done in schools in 2003 showed that just over 94% of children between 3 and 15 were able to speak Welsh.
Settlements on Llŷn include:
The main hills on Llŷn include: