We swapped city life for a tiny island with more sheep than people

The new wardens of a tiny island with only a handful of human inhabitants say moving there full-time has been a "dream come true".

Lois Roberts and Aron Llwyd, both 29, grew up in Cardiff but craved a "different challenge" after becoming disillusioned with city life.

They were previously assistant wardens on Ynys Enlli, also known as Bardsey Island, which involved spending several months of the year there, but "never imagined" stepping up to live there year-round.

Ynys Enlli, in Gwynedd, became the first site in Europe to be awarded International Dark Sky Sanctuary certification in 2023, recognised for having one of the best night skies in the world.

Roberts said they were previously living in Cardiff in a place with a "tiny garden" when they decided to make a change.

"We just wanted to be close to nature and to be able to experience living sustainably," she said. "We felt that was quite hard to do in Cardiff."

In 2024, the couple began working on the island as assistant wardens, which involved seasonal work between March and October. They would leave the island each winter.

But in October 2025, Bardsey Island Trust advertised for full-time wardens to live on the island year round.

Roberts and Llwyd were successful and moved in permanently on 1 March, bringing the year-round population of the island to four.

Roberts said while they already "had a feel for the island", the "step up" had been "quite big".

There are several houses on the island, some of which are available to visitors during the summer months, and Roberts and Llwyd are responsible for maintaining them.

"We've been preparing the houses for all the guests to come, so it's just been a bit nonstop," said Roberts.

"A lot of painting, cleaning, mowing and gardening. Every day is different," said Llwyd.

"We are trying to get more solar power in the houses, which is very important for the community to live here without problems."

Llwyd described their time on the island as "a completely different way of life".

Some of these skills have had to be learned, according to Roberts, such as fixing damaged doors and roofs after strong winds on the island.

"We didn't do that as assistant wardens, so learning those skills as we go has been something new for us," she added.

Since making the transition, the couple have been able to appreciate things in life that they previously took for granted.

"We know exactly where our water comes from, we grow our own food, we can catch crab and lobster," said Roberts.

"Everything comes from your own efforts."

Roberts said it did occasionally "feel like we've gone back in time", although they do have Wi-Fi access, unlike the island's seasonal guests.

But she said it was nice to not be so reliant on screens and Wi-Fi for entertainment.

"We can do things like art and knit, go swimming, gardening," she said.

"There's lots of things that we can do that doesn't rely on Wi-Fi."

The earliest evidence of people on Ynys Enlli are pieces of flint, which have been dated back to between 2,000 and 1,000 BC.

Today, the island is also home to 200 sheep and around 30,000 breeding pairs of Manx shearwater birds.

Roberts said she was excited to preserve the "special history and culture" of Ynys Enlli for "generations to come".

She said their first winter working on the island would be a "new experience".

"I don't know how we will feel in a few years' time, but we don't have plans to go back to the city anytime soon," she said.

"We really enjoy it, and we want to try and stay here as long as possible."