Castaway couple quit city life to live on remote Welsh island with more sheep than people

By JAKE HOLDEN, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:13, 26 May 2026 | Updated: 18:26, 26 May 2026 A castaway couple have quit life in the big city and opted to switch out human neighbours with fluffy sheep on a remote Welsh island. Lois Roberts and Aron Llwyd, both 29, grew up in busy Cardiff but were after a 'different challenge' after becoming disillusioned with city life. So they upped sticks and decided to move to Ynys Enlli, also known as Bardsey Island, off the North Wales coast. They are now wardens of the island and look after 200 sheep there and 20-30 Welsh Black Cattle. Their flock of farm animals far exceeds the human population on the island, which, including them, stands at just four.  Ms Roberts said they were previously living in Cardiff in a place with a 'tiny garden' when they decided to make a change. With no half measures made, they transported their lives across the seas to the island which is only accessible by boat. Lois Roberts and Aron Llwyd, both 29, decided to up sticks from city life in Cardiff and move to the remote island of Ynys Enlli, off of North Wales, where sheep outnumber people 50 times over The couple will tend to the flock of sheep and cattle and maintain the lands as the wardens of the island, known as Bardsey Island, which is only accessible by boat 'We just wanted to be close to nature and to be able to experience living sustainably,' Ms Roberts told the BBC. 'We felt that was quite hard to do in Cardiff.' There is a holy side to their crusade for a more peaceful life as Bardsey Island is also known as the 'Island of 20,000 Saints' and is said to be the resting place of thousands of pilgrims of old.  In stark contrast to the bright lights of Cardiff's nighttime, the island was designated Europe's first Dark Sky Sanctuary and is famed for its wildlife and rugged scenery - attracting seals, Manx shearwaters, porpoises and dolphins. The couple won their position as wardens of the island and it is their job to tend to the sheep and cattle and maintain the beautiful lands there. Their love affair with the remote island began in 2024 when they began working as assistant wardens there, involving seasonal work between March and October. They left the island each winter but Bardsey Island Trust advertised for full-time wardens to live on the island year-round. The couple were successful and moved in permanently on 1 March, bringing the year-round population of the island to four. Lois 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 Aron. Could you give up city comforts for a life surrounded by nature and isolation like this couple? What's your view? 'We just wanted to be close to nature and to be able to experience living sustainably,' Ms Roberts said The island has houses on it that guests can stay in while visiting that the couple also are charged with maintaining 'We are trying to get more solar power in the houses, which is very important for the community to live here without problems.' 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 Aron. 'Everything comes from your own efforts.' 'We can do things like art and knit, go swimming, gardening,' she said. 'There are lots of things that we can do that don'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. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.