When visiting Holy Island (off the Northumberland coast near Berwick-upon-Tweed), the most important thing to remember is that it is a tidal island. This means you can only get across to it safely in two five-hour periods during the day, before the North Sea rapidly closes in. Make sure you plan your journey well in advance, remembering you can only get across to the island from the mainland at certain times. Northumberland County Council publishes timetables of safe crossing times which are available on their website. If you get near to the causeway in the car and you can already see water on the tarmac, do not cross. The best thing to do is to visit Berwick or over the nearby Scottish border for a few hours before it's safe to cross again.

On one summer's day, a holidaymaker in his camper van thought he had made it back across to the mainland from the island and decided to park up for an afternoon sleep. When awoken, his vehicle was floating. The van was found by the coastguard 600 metres north with the terrified man standing on the roof. Only the quick wit of the emergency services saved his life.