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.

'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.

'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.