Skellig Michael, Monastic island in County Kerry, Ireland.

Skellig Michael is a small island off the coast of County Kerry, made up of two rocky peaks surrounded by steep cliffs. On the higher peak stand stone structures from the early Middle Ages, reached by a long stairway of handmade steps.

Monks settled here in the 6th century and built a settlement of small stone huts and prayer rooms on top of the mountain. The community lasted for several centuries until they abandoned the island in the 12th century and returned to the mainland.

Visitors can still see how the monks shaped flat stones into walls and domed roofs without using any mortar or binding material. This building method shows how early communities adapted their craft to survive harsh weather and constant exposure to salt and wind.

The island is only accessible during summer months when the sea is calmer and boats can land safely. Anyone traveling here should expect physical effort climbing stairs and changeable weather that can shift very quickly.

The south peak hermitage is reached only by a dangerous approach and is largely closed to the public. The island's rock is Old Red Sandstone and compressed slate, formed 360 to 374 million years ago, and erosion along a brittle north–south fault line broke away the rock that became Christ's Saddle.