Waiting for the ferry on Anneka's Quay, Bryher

Of the hundreds of rocks, islets and islands on Scilly, only five are inhabited – St Mary’s plus the off-islands of Tresco, St Agnes, Bryher and St Martin’s. In the fairly recent past Samson was also populated – the abandoned houses are a great draw to visitors today. Go back a thousand years and St Helen's and Teän were home to Early Christian communities. Go back a thousand years more, and many of the smaller isles like White Island (St Martin's), Nornour, Northwethel and Great Ganilly were home to a dispersed population of prehistoric farmers. It's their field walls and huts that lie seaweed covered on the sandbanks at low water.

St Mary’s and Tresco are stepping stones between the mainland and the more far flung off-islands. St Mary's actually has tarmac roads and traffic (but you can't bring your car here from the mainland). It's perfect for first time visitors because all the other islands are within easy reach by inter-island launch from Hugh Town Quay. Tresco has the famous Abbey Gardens, full of sub-tropical plants that draw visitors from all over the world. St Agnes, Bryher and St Martin’s are more far-flung, distilled illustrations of island life. Here the only traffic on the small concrete tracks is an occasional tractor. One of the great pleasures of visiting Scilly is discovering which island appeals to your temperament and, as you get to know the islands, discovering how that can change.

A land lost beneath the sea – the lost Land of Lyonesse

Wading between Samson and Tresco at low tide

At the height of the last glacial period, 18,000 years ago, the sea was as much as 100 metres below today's levels, exposing a vast plain stretching all around for dozens of kilometres. As the climate warmed and the ice caps melted, huge volumes of water were released causing an astonishingly rapid rise in sea levels. At the same time, humans, who had wisely sat out the glacial period painting pictures in the caves of southern Europe, started to move north. They arrived here about 10,000 years ago to find the sea already lapping at the base of the granite hills but still a good thirty metres below today's level. By 4000BC it had risen another twenty-five metres. Even within the short life-span of prehistoric man, large areas of land could be seen to be lost to the sea. This global phenomenon is at the root of the many myths of a 'great flood’.

Generations of Scillonians have told of a lost land that once lay between the Isles of Scilly and Land’s End – The Land of Lyonesse. A land of handsome maids and strong men, of rich pastures and fertile meadows. Standing above the fields, on what is now the Seven Stones, stood the beautiful City of Lions where from its turreted castle you could count the steeples of 140 graceful churches. All this was suddenly engulfed by the sea. Only one man and his horse survived. He was out hunting in the hills near to Land’s End. Weary from his exertions, he fell asleep under a May tree only to be woken by a terrifying roar as a gigantic wave rolled across the plain from the west. He mounted his horse and they galloped for their lives to high ground and safety – but not before his horse lost a shoe in the scramble. The coat of arms of the West Cornwall Vyvyan family consists of three horseshoes and they claim to be descended from the single survivor of the flood that engulfed Lyonesse.

Sometimes late at night in the corner of a West Cornwall pub you may even overhear an old fisherman recounting stories of how on a calm day, with a still sea, you can hear a faint mournful toll as the sea currents gently move the bells in their steeples. The legend may have grown taller with every telling, but there are indeed traces of a lost society, their homes and fields now under the sea. These are the farms of Bronze Age Scillonians who colonised Scilly 4,500 years ago when the four largest present day islands were connected by a now submerged central plain.

St Mary's

Peninnis Lighthouse on St Mary's

St Mary’s the largest island in the Scillonian group and home to three-quarters of Scilly's 2,200 residents. It is a stepping stone between the mainland and the off-islands, large enough to have tarmac roads, cars and buses but small enough to walk around in a day. All the off-islands are within easy reach by ferry from the quay at Hugh Town, so it's the ideal place to be based on your first trip. Almost all St Mary's food shops, banks, restaurants and gift shops are based here along with the Island Museum.

It’s perfectly possible to walk the whole coast of St Mary’s in a single day (it's about 12.5km not including the Garrison) but it’s probably more enjoyable to put your holiday head on and wander along at Scillonian pace. It's amazing what you come across on the coast path – the buckled steel plates of the SS Brodfield on the rocks below the airport, a pillbox disguised as a wall at Old Town, Civil War batteries, a smuggler's cache in the cliff at Porth Mellon and at Porth Hellick and Normandy downs the tombs of prehistoric Scillonians.

There are two popular walks from Hugh Town: one follows the coast from Porthcressa to Peninnis Head and the other traces a line around the walls of The Garrison. The rest of St Mary's coastline can be split into several easy sections: Old Town to Porth Hellick, Porth Hellick to Watermill Cove and Watermill Cove to Porthloo. You can turn inland at any one of these places to make a circular walk using the country lanes and nature trails at Lower and Higher Moors to cross the island. Each walk only takes a morning or an afternoon to complete and so a pair of walks can be put together based around lunch at one of the cafes on the north of St Mary's. Alternatively, you can hire a bicycle in Hugh Town or arrange for a taxi to drop you off at Telegraph or Pelistry and saunter back along the coast path.

Many visitors will understandably spend the bulk of their time exploring the coast, but the centre of St Mary's has plenty to offer too. It's mainly cultivated for potatoes, flowers and bulbs – particularly daffodils and other narcissi which are sent to London in the winter and early spring. Holy Vale is a particularly beautiful spot with vineyards where you can try out the local Pinot Noir (check opening times before you go). You'll also come across artists studios, potteries and galleries like Rocky Hill and the studios at Porthloo.

St Mary's has many impressive prehistoric monuments and, if you're interested in the ancient history of the islands, it's a good plan to spend a bit of time visiting sites like the Giant’s Tomb on Porth Hellick Down, Innisidgen Tomb and Bant’s Carn Tomb at Halangy Down. They're kept clear of bracken and brambles and have information boards so that when you get to the off-islands – whose ancient sites are often a little tumbled down and overgrown – you already have a clear picture in your own mind of what you're looking for among all the natural rock debris. The northern part of St Mary's, around the The Bar and Halangy Down was intensively settled in prehistory and the remains of prehistoric fields, huts and tombs show that this part of Scilly, facing back to Land's End, was probably the major centre of activity on ancient Scilly. Halangy Down Ancient Village sits below Bant’s Carn Tomb and here you can wander around the remains of 2,000-year-old houses.

For nature lovers, there are lots of wildlife boat trips from the quay at Hugh Town including one on a glass-bottomed boat as well as lectures in the Church Hall in Hugh Town. The island has a good variety of resident birds, and Porth Hellick Pool is a favourite spot in the spring and autumn for migrating birds who stop here to rest and refuel. Sometimes when gales blow in exotic birds from North America, hundreds of birdwatchers descend on the islands. They can be found crouching in hedgerows and craning their necks over walls to catch sight of unusual visitors. More information is available on the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust website.

INFORMATION
Isles of Scilly Tourist Information Centre
Located above Porthcressa Beach on St Mary’s.
www.visitislesofscilly.com
E: info@visitislesofscilly.com T: (01720) 620600
Ferries and Sightseeing trips
Ferries depart from Hugh Town Quay. Social media accounts and boards in Hugh Town give times and destinations for trips happening that day and are updated with the next day’s trips in the early evening. Lots of choice; check out the boards on the quay. Buy your ticket at the kiosk on Hugh Town Quay or on-board.
St Mary’s Boatmen’s Association run most of the trips from St Mary’s. Ferries run to the inhabited islands every day during the season with a rotating mix of wildlife and sightseeing trips to view seals, seabirds and the remote islands. A reduced service runs out of season and then you’ll probably need to book.
Off-island ferries usually start leaving Hugh Town Quay at about 10.15am with returns throughout the day to late afternoon. Departure times and frequency change according to the tides, weather and time of year so check departure boards and social media accounts.
Buy your ticket at the kiosk on Hugh Town Quay, at the TIC and some hotels, or on-board.

BEST BEACHES
Porthcressa is popular with families as there are shops, cafes and loos right by the beach. Pelistry is more out of the way but is a very beautiful setting and Carn Vean Cafe is close by.
Getting around
The Scilly Cart Co
Hire 2, 4 and 6 seat electric carts for exploring St Mary’s. Garage is situated on the Porthmellon Business Park.
www.scillycart.co
T: (01720) 422121 E: mail@scillycart.co

ACTIVITIES
Island Wildlife Tours
Naturalist Will Wagstaff leads half and full day walks around the islands plus regular slide shows in the Church Hall on St Mary’s. Programme advertised on noticeboard at Hugh Town Quay and Tourist Information Centre.
www.islandwildlifetours.co.uk
T: (01720) 422212  E: will@islandwildlifetours.co.uk
Scilly Spirit Distillery, Old Town
Scilly Spirit produce award-winning Island Gin and Atlantic Strength Gin which is available to purchase online. They also have a Gin School where you can choose from a library of botanicals to make your own gin.
www.scillyspirit.com/shop
T: (01720) 422400
Instagram/Twitter @scillyspirit  Facebook @scillyspiritdistillery

PLACES TO EAT
Check online or ring ahead as you may need to book in the summer months and in the quieter months some cafés don’t open every day.
Carn Vean Cafe, Pelistry
Five minutes from Pelistry Beach. Open 10am to 5pm, closed on Fridays.
T: (01720) 423458  Facebook @carnveancafe
Old Town Cafe
Longstone Lodge and Cafe
In the centre of the island, about 2km from Hugh Town. Good food, self-catering apartments, hostel accommodation and children’s play area. Cafe open daily from 10am to 4.30pm. They also offer Friday night delivery service for a Scillonian Lobster meal.
www.longstonelodge.co.uk
E: longstonelodge@yahoo.com
Facebook @longstonecafe  Instagram/Twitter @longstonelodge

SHOPS AND GALLERIES
John Bourdeaux Pottery, Old Town
Open Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm or by appointment. Visitors always welcome. Close to the Airport entrance.
www.johnbourdeaux.co.uk
T: (01720) 422025  E: bourdeauxpottery@gmail.com

CAMPSITE
Garrison Campsite and Holiday Cottages.
www.garrisonholidays.com
T: (01720) 422670   @garrisonhols 

St Agnes and the Western Rocks

The Nag's Head rock on St Agnes

Long before humans arrived on Scilly, St Agnes, Annet and the Western Rocks were a distinct group of islands all on their own, separated from the rest of Scilly by the deep water of St Mary's Sound. Anyone who's made the crossing from St Mary's to St Agnes when a northwesterly sea is running knows just how rough this stretch of water can be. So it's a psychological as well as a physical barrier and the eighty residents of St Agnes and Gugh are a resilient and resourceful band.

Today, the only inhabited islands in this group are St Agnes and Gugh. Further west, the rocks and isles now belong exclusively to seals and seabirds, although in the past, humans have had a shaky and sporadic toehold here too. Hunters made seasonal camp on Annet in prehistory and in recent centuries divers have used Rosevear as a base for salvaging valuable cargo, as have blacksmiths working on the first Bishop Rock Lighthouse. Oddly, the place with the longest record of unbroken occupation in the Western Rocks is the Bishop Rock, perhaps the most remote, exposed and isolated place on Scilly. Lighthouse keepers lived here from 1858 to 1992 – surely Scilly's most perilous and lonesome address.

Of today's uninhabited isles, Annet and Rosevear are large enough to support a few species of maritime plants like thrift, sea beet and tree mallow. Others, like Crebawethan and Melledgan, are little more than bare rock, ground down to low stumps by the continual pounding of the waves. In a calm sea, they can be awash; with a strong sea running, waves roll right over them or crash into the rock faces sending up plumes of spray visible from miles away. At times like this, it's all the more magnificent to see the Bishop Rock Lighthouse standing bolt upright on the horizon. It's a reassuring presence, especially at night, as the beam from its lantern sweeps across the underside of the clouds.

To many of us, the ocean can seem an irredeemably hostile place and a boat trip to the Bishop is probably as far as we will ever venture. But for some Scillonian visitors – pelagic birds like shearwaters, storm petrels and puffins – the open sea is their home and it's on dry land where they look out of place. These birds would spend their whole lives on the ocean if they didn't have to make brief landfall on Annet and the Western Rocks to lay eggs and raise chicks. On land they have the comic ungainliness of a scuba diver walking on a quayside. Manx shearwaters are so unaccustomed to solid ground that their landing technique is simply to crash with a thump into the tussocks of thrift on Annet. It's a breathtaking contrast to see just how at home, and how graceful they are on the ocean, skimming and shearing over the waves.

The Western Rocks have been responsible for hundreds of shipwrecks and the loss of thousands of lives. In the days of sail, a vessel was largely helpless in the face of a storm, driven relentlessly onwards to shatter, often in seconds, on the rocks. Their very names – Hellweathers, Roaring Ledge, Tearing Ledge – tell you all you need to know about the ferocity of the sea here. Sometimes the only clue that a wreck had even happened was a raft of flotsam arriving on the beaches of St Agnes, a tide of splintered wood, regurgitated cargo and bruised corpses, often stripped naked by the sea. Occasionally, survivors would make it to a nearby rock but might have to wait days for the seas to subside before they could be rescued. More often, no-one survived. The identity of a wreck could sometimes be inferred from the cargo it spilled into the sea – indigo, rum and cotton from the Caribbean; jute from Bengal; spices, coffee and tobacco from the Dutch East Indies. On several occasions islanders have woken to find the bays of St Agnes and Gugh brimful with produce, rafts of bobbing Valencia oranges or a sea of wheat. Any cargo too heavy to be taken by the tide would rain down on the rocky gullies from the disintegrating wreck above – silver dollars from the Spanish Main, African gold, bronze cannons and iron shot.

INFORMATION
Isles of Scilly Tourist Information Centre
Located above Porthcressa Beach on St Mary’s.
www.visitislesofscilly.com
E: info@visitislesofscilly.com T: (01720) 620600
Ferries and Sightseeing trips
Landing is at Perconger (Porth Conger). If you want to visit Gugh aim to arrive a couple of hours before low tide or you might find the Bar covered. Sightseeing ferries don’t land on Annet or the Western Rocks and are very dependent on the sea conditions so if a trip is advertised go while you can. St Agnes Boating run daily trips to St Mary’s and a rotating schedule to the other islands along with sightseeing trips.

BEST BEACHES
Covean is a lovely sun trap and very sheltered. Dropnose Porth on Gugh is also popular but remember the Bar is covered at high water so check the tide times before you visit. Periglis has great views to the Bishop Rock Lighthouse.

ACTIVITIES
St Agnes Watersports
Hire sit-on-top kayaks, paddle boards and snorkelling equipment for exploring the coastal waters around St Agnes. Their base is on the beach next to Troytown Campsite.
www.agneswatersports.co.uk
T: (01720) 423207 E: agneswatersports@gmail.com
Facebook @agneswatersports  Instagram @stagneswatersports
Island Wildlife Tours
Naturalist Will Wagstaff leads half and full day walks around the islands. Programme advertised on noticeboard at Hugh Town Quay and Tourist Information Centre.
www.islandwildlifetours.co.uk
T: (01720) 422212 E: will@islandwildlifetours.co.uk

PLACES TO EAT
Check online or ring ahead as you may need to book in the summer months and in the quieter months some cafés don’t open every day.
Covean Cafe, Higher Town
Coastguards Cafe, Middle Town
Troytown Farm
Delicious homemade ice creams and sorbets, plus other farm produce. See the cows and calves and enjoy the views. Open every day from about 9am to 4pm, longer in peak season.
www.troytown.co.uk
Turk’s Head, Perconger
The most south-westerly pub in Britain. Ideal for lunch and a drink looking over to Gugh from the gardens. Located close to the quay.
E: turksheadstagnes@gmail.com
T: (01720) 422434   @TurksHeadStAgnes

CAMPSITE
Troytown Campsite
Friendly shoreline campsite with wonderful views. Open April to September.
www.troytown.co.uk
E: stay@troytown.co.uk

SHOPS AND GALLERIES
St Agnes Post Office Stores, Middle Town
Stocks an excellent range of groceries, local produce and island gifts.
E: agnesshop@hotmail.co.uk  Twitter @AgnesPostOffice
Pot Buoys Gallery, Higher Town
Located a few minutes from the quay opposite Covean Cottage. Lots of gifts including jewellery, art and ceramics made by local artists and inspired by Scilly. Run by artist Emma Eberlein.
Open Mon to Fri 10.30am to 4pm, Sun 11am to 4pm. Closed Saturday.  E: gallerypotbuoys@gmail.com
Facebook  @potbuoys
Westward Farm Gin & 28 miles
A family run farm producing premium gin, wild flower honey, fresh vegetables, prime meat, crisp apple juice and cyder as well as luxury soaps and toiletries, hand made with essential oils from plants grown and distilled on the farm. Not open to the public but their products are available throughout Scilly.
www.westwardfarm.co.uk
E: westwardfarm@hotmail.com
Facebook @westwardfarmscilly
Wood Tattoos by Mark Eberlein
Located in the Island Hall Studios. Open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays when you will see Mark working.
Facebook @wood.tattoos.uk  Instagram Scilly_woodtattoos

Bryher, Samson and the Norrard Rocks

Great Par on Bryher

More than any other island on Scilly, Bryher has the feeling of being on a frontier, in a combat zone between sea and land. The battle is played out most dramatically on Shipman Head Down where, even on the sunniest of summer days, you can sense how unnervingly wild it is in poor weather. During storms, waves crash into Hell Bay sending clouds of spray cascading right over the island to land in New Grimsby Sound: not a time to find yourself standing anywhere near Badplace Hill. Further south on Bryher, the coast is a little more sheltered and around Popplestones, Great Par and Rushy Bay the coastal scenery is the most beautiful in Scilly, a perfect balance of bay, beach and carn-topped hill.

All the Scillonian off-islands have had periods where they've been abandoned completely by humans. Samson is the most recent example, its ruined houses lending it a wistful air, a reminder of the makeshift nature of living on the western margin of Scilly. It's a hugely attractive island and one of those places that roots itself deep in the memory so that when you recollect a visit, even many years later, you're drawn back with a startling intensity to the carns, the tombs and the sparkling sea.

The Norrard or Northern Rocks sit a little higher in the water than their counterparts the Western Rocks but, like them, they support little life beyond the short visits of breeding sea birds. All that changes though, when you glance over the side of the boat. The Garden of the Maiden Bower may sound like an English cottage garden full of roses and apple blossom, but really it's a garden of seaweeds, full of tangle, furbellows, cuvie, and the hypnotic waving fronds of dabberlocks. If you're lucky, you'll glimpse a shadow slipping and sliding between the watery sunbeams because the only maidens that live here are mermaids and seals.

INFORMATION
Isles of Scilly Tourist Information Centre
Located above Porthcressa Beach on St Mary’s.
www.visitislesofscilly.com
E: info@visitislesofscilly.com T: (01720) 620600

FERRIES AND QUAYS
Church Quay is used at high water and Anneka’s Quay on the Bar, at low water. During the season, ferries land on the uninhabited island of Samson (take water, food and sun cream). Sightseeing boat trips circle the Norrard Rocks but don’t land.
Tresco Boat Services
Daily services run to St Mary’s and Bryher plus a rotating mix of sightseeing, wildlife and trips to other islands throughout the week. A weekly plan of services is available at:
www.tresco.co.uk/boats
T: (01720) 423373 E: trescoboats@tresco.co.uk
Facebook @TrescoBoatServices. Twitter @TrescoBoats
Bryher Marine Engineering, Steve Hulands
For all your inboard and outboard repair and servicing needs.
T: 07786235107  E: info@bryhermarine.co.uk

BEST BEACHES
The sheltered beach beside Church Quay is popular with families. Rushy Bay on the southern tip of the island is one of Scilly’s best and good for swimming. The long sandy beach at Great Par catches the afternoon and evening sun – a good place for a picnic.

CAMPSITE
Bryher Campsite, Norrard
Stunning ocean views, spacious fields and a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Bring your own tent or enjoy a fully-equipped rental Bell Tent. www.bryhercampsite.co.uk
Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @bryhercampsite

SHOPS
Bryher Shop, The Town
www.bryhershop.co.uk
T: (01720) 423601
Bryher Gallery, The Town
Shows work from local makers including artwork and textiles. www.bryherartist.com
T: (01720) 423665
Golden Eagle Studio, Great Par
Bryher painter Richard Pearce has restored the gig shed that once housed the Golden Eagle as his studio and gallery. www.bryherartist.com
T: (01720) 423665

ACTIVITIES
Bennett Boatyard, The Green
Isles of Scilly Boat Hire, Bar
Island Wildlife Tours
Naturalist Will Wagstaff leads half and full day walks around the islands. Programme is advertised on a noticeboard at Hugh Town Quay and at the Tourist Information Centre.
www.islandwildlifetours.co.uk
T: (01720) 422212  E: will@islandwildlifetours.co.uk

PLACES TO EAT
Check online or ring ahead as you may need to book in the summer months and in the quieter months some cafés don’t open every day.
Fraggle Rock Bar & Cafe, Norrard
Open all day in the season, check their Facebook page for updates.
www.bryher.co
E: fragglerock@bryher.co
Facebook @fragglebryher  Instagram @fraggle_bryher
Hell Bay Hotel, Great Par/Pool
The highest-rated hotel and restaurant on Scilly. Overlooks Bryher’s rugged west coast. Open during the day for tea, coffee and lunch in the bar and terrace plus spa treatments too.
www.hellbay.co.uk
T: (01720) 422947 E: contactus@hellbay.co.uk
Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @HellBayHotel
Island Fish, the Bar
Locally caught shellfish and fish to eat in the cafe or takeaway. Open 1st April to 31st October, Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 5.30pm. www.islandfish.co.uk
E: contactus@islandfish.co.uk
Twitter @IOSFish  Facebook Island Fish Ltd
Olivia’s Kitchen, the Town
Take a break from exploring and pop into Olivia’s Kitchen At The Vine. Relax and enjoy some wonderful food and drink while taking in the views. Open 7 days a week 9am to 4.30pm.
E: oliviaskitchenbryher@gmail.com
Facebook/Instagram @OliviasKitchenBryher

Tresco, St Helen’s, Teän and Round Island

Looking over to St Helen's and Round Island from Tresco

People travel from all over the world to visit Tresco Abbey Gardens and it's by far the most visited of Scilly's off-islands. The gardens are a northern sanctuary for subtropical and southern hemisphere plants. They thrive here because the islands are bathed in the warmth of the Gulf Stream, a current of seawater that flows northeast across the Atlantic from the Caribbean. As a consequence, winters are exceptionally mild and frosts are rare. Gales are a greater danger and Tresco is planted with sweeping shelter belts of trees to protect the sensitive plants from being scalded by salt-laden winter winds.

The Abbey Gardens are laid out around the ruins of a small abbey church that stood here between the 12th and 14th centuries. Christian foundations had been established on St Helen's and Teän (as well as on Tresco and other parts of Scilly) as early as the 6th or 7th centuries AD. This is a period the Cornish call The Coming of the Saints, when Celtic men and women from Ireland and Wales moved through Cornwall and Scilly establishing tiny chapels and hermitages on remote cliffs and coves. So many foundations existed here that these northern off-islands were described as a 'confederacy of hermits’.

Abbey Gardens on Tresco

That long tradition of seclusion and solitude was carried into the 19th and 20th centuries by the lighthouse keepers of Round Island. The sea immediately northwest of St Helen's and Round Island is particularly turbulent and, despite being so close to the main islands, they could find themselves marooned for days beyond the end of their watch by the stormy waters around their island. On nearby St Helen's in the 18th century, passengers and crew from ships suspected of being infected with disease were forcibly quarantined at the Pest House, made to wait on their fate on what must have seemed a terrifying but strangely beautiful desert island.

ISLAND OFFICE AND WEBSITE
For the latest information on everything to do with Tresco including events, travel, what to do and booking accommodation.
www.tresco.co.uk
T: (01720) 422849  E: contactus@tresco.co.uk
Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @TrescoIsland
Tresco Heliport
Penzance Helicopters operate a service direct to Tresco Heliport from Penzance. The flight takes 15 minutes.
www.penzancehelicopters.co.uk
T: (01736) 780828 E: info@penzancehelicopters.co.uk

FERRIES
Carn Near and New Grimsby are the main landing quays. If tides and timetables allow, you can land at one quay, walk to the Abbey Garden and return from the other quay in the afternoon. Occasionally ferries will land at Old Grimsby, mainly for trips between Tresco and St Martin’s. There are no regular landings on Teän and St Helen’s but you can visit on a private charter boat or by hiring a sea kayak.
Tresco Boat Services
Daily services run to St Mary’s and Bryher plus a rotating mix of sightseeing, wildlife and trips to other islands during the week. A weekly plan of services is available on the Island website.
www.tresco.co.uk/boats
T: (01720) 423373 E: trescoboats@tresco.co.uk
Facebook @TrescoBoatServices Twitter @TrescoBoats

PLACES TO EAT
Check online or ring ahead as you may need to book in the summer months and in the quieter months some cafés don’t open every day.
Flying Boat Cafe and Deli, Abbey Farm
Relaxed and welcoming for breakfast, coffee, light bites and picking up picnic essentials. Great views over New Grimsby Harbour.
T: (01720) 424068
Abbey Garden Cafe and Gift Shop
Ideal for morning coffee, cake or afternoon cream tea. Located at the entrance to the Abbey Garden but open to anyone visiting the island. Plants and other gifts available at the shop.
T: (01720) 424108
New Inn, New Grimsby
Traditional pub food with a Tresco twist served at lunch and dinner using local ingredients.
T: (01720) 423006
Ruin Beach Cafe, Old Grimsby
Chilled out beach front cafe serving lunch and dinner dishes straight out of a wood-fired oven. Enjoy a cocktail or tea and cake on the terrace.
T: (01720) 424849
Island Fish, Bryher Bar
Locally caught shellfish and fish to eat in their cafe or takeaway. Open April to October, Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 5.30pm.
www.islandfish.co.uk
E: contactus@islandfish.co.uk
Twitter @IOSFish  Facebook Island Fish Ltd

SHOPS AND GALLERIES
Tresco Stores
Stocks everything from everyday essentials to gourmet food plus a deli counter for those requiring picnic things. Conveniently sited on the way to the Abbey Garden from New Grimsby Quay.
T: (01720) 422806
Gallery Tresco, New Grimsby
Displays a rotating mix of exhibitions by some of Cornwall’s best artists, as well as gifts inspired by the islands.
T: (01720) 424925
Lucy-Tania, Old Grimsby
Boutique collection of sustainable clothing and gifts including a Tresco-themed clothing line.

ACTIVITIES
Tresco Bike Shed
Bike hire for all ages. You can book in advance on the Tresco Island Website.
T: 01720 422849
Island Wildlife Tours
Naturalist Will Wagstaff leads half and full day walks around the islands plus regular slide shows in the Church Hall on St Mary’s. Programme advertised on noticeboard at Hugh Town Quay and Tourist Information Centre.
www.islandwildlifetours.co.uk
T: (01720) 422212 E: will@islandwildlifetours.co.uk

St Martin’s and the Eastern Isles

Campsite Beach on St Martin's with Tresco in the background

This corner of Scilly benefits greatly from being sheltered by St Mary's and Tresco and as a result, St Martin's is just a little greener than the other islands. Its south-facing hillsides are natural sun-traps so the hedges and gardens are full of subtropical plants, and even in early spring or late autumn, the ground is full of warmth. The northern coast is a much more rugged and wild place. It looks over the sea to Land's End, and from Chapel Down in the evening, the scene is lit up by the twinkle and flash of at least five lighthouses that mark the many dangers between Scilly and the mainland. This has been a busy shipping lane for two thousand years.

The Eastern Isles lie just a few hundred metres southeast of St Martin's. Sightseeing boats come to watch the seals that haul-out on the rocks around Menawethan and Innisvouls. All these isles are uninhabited now but the remains of prehistoric fields and round huts show up on Nornour and its neighbour, Great Ganilly. Most spectacularly, a Roman shrine for mariners was uncovered on the beach at Nornour after a storm in 1962. Arthur belongs to a select group of places on Scilly that prehistoric man chose as ritual sites – each one of its three hills is topped by tombs.

On a normal low tide, ferries have to weave back and forth around the sand banks and bars of Martin's Flats to get through to Highertown Quay and on the lowest tides of the year the sand banks are completely impassable by boat. When it floods back in, the sea creates a shallow lagoon stretching between St Martin's, Guther's Island and Tresco. This is one of the loveliest sights in Scilly. The white sand beneath the surface of the sea gives it an extraordinary sparkle perhaps best experienced by hiring a sea kayak to explore the many rocks, ledges and islands.

INFORMATION
St Martin’s Island Website
www.stmartinsscilly.co.uk
Isles of Scilly Tourist Information Centre
Located above Porthcressa Beach on St Mary’s.
www.visitislesofscilly.com
E: info@visitislesofscilly.com  T: (01720) 620600

FERRIES AND QUAYS
St Martin’s has two quays, Lowertown (Hotel) Quay and Highertown Quay. Both have a regular ferry service to St Mary’s and the other inhabited islands. If you are visiting St Martin’s for the day ideally you will be able to land at one and walk across the island to be picked up at the other. Ferries don’t land on the Eastern Isles but you can visit on a private charter boat or kayak.

BEST BEACHES
Difficult to know where to start as there is so much choice – Par Beach, Middletown Beach and The Porth are all sheltered. Great and Little Bay on St Martin’s north coast are more wild and dramatic. Old Quay, Perpitch and Bread & Cheese are ideal out-of-the-way spots to picnic.

SHOPS
Fay Page Jewellery Studio, Lowertown
Handmade gold and silver jewellery inspired by island life and made in their workshop by the sea. Open Monday to Friday all year.
www.faypage.co.uk
Facebook/Instagram @faypagescilly
Island Bakery, Highertown
Middletown Barn Honesty Shop
Honesty shop filled with lots of beautiful things made by talented local makers. Open Monday to Sunday 9am to 4.30pm.
Instagram @middletown.barn
North Farm Gallery, Highertown
St Martin’s Stores, Highertown
www.stmartins-stores.co.uk
T: (01720) 422801

PLACES TO EAT
Check online or ring ahead as you may need to book in the summer months and in the quieter months some cafés don’t open every day.
Adam’s Fish & Chips, Highertown
Little Arthur Cafe, Highertown
Farm cafe serving local food and drinks with stunning views over the Eastern Isles.
www.littlearthur.co.uk  
T: (01720) 422779  E: littlearthurcafe@hotmail.com   @littlearthurcafe
Karma St Martin’s Hotel, Lowertown
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
T: (01720) 422368
Polreath Tea Room, Highertown
Seven Stones Inn, Lowertown
A warm welcome awaits you at this quirky and rustic family-run pub with magnificent views.
www.sevenstonesinn.com  
T: (01720) 423777  E: sevenstonesinn@gmail.com  
Facebook @sevenstonesinn

ACTIVITIES
St Martin’s Vineyard, Highertown
Vineyard tours and tastings on the sunny south-facing slopes near Highertown just a stone’s throw from the sea.
www.stmartinsvineyard.co.uk
E: stmartinsvineyard@gmail.com
Facebook/Instagram @stmartinsvineyard
St Martin’s Watersports
Kayak and paddle board fun for the family. Visit uninhabited islands and see the seals. Hire from Par Beach. Open daily from 9.30am (weather permitting) from April to October. Book online.
www.stmartinswatersports.co.uk
Facebook @StMartinsWatersports  Twitter @stmartinswaters
Scilly Seal Snorkelling
Snorkel with the seals in their natural environment. They may even come close enough to nibble at your fins! All equipment included. Award-winning wildlife experience.
www.scillysealsnorkelling.com
Facebook/Instagram @ScillySealSnorkelling  Twitter @SealSnorkelling
Island Wildlife Tours
Naturalist Will Wagstaff leads half and full day walks around the islands plus regular slide shows in the Church Hall on St Mary’s. Programme advertised on noticeboard at Hugh Town Quay and Tourist Information Centre.
www.islandwildlifetours.co.uk
T: (01720) 422212  E: will@islandwildlifetours.co.uk

Getting to Scilly

The Isles of Scilly are located 40km (25 miles) west of Land’s End in Cornwall.
Arriving By Car
Head for Exeter then follow the A30 to Penzance. The A30 can be very busy on summer Saturdays and bank holiday weekends. To avoid the queues, aim to arrive on the Cornish border (about 1¼ hours from Penzance) before mid-morning or leave it until late afternoon/early evening. Flying from Exeter avoids Cornwall’s congested trains and roads in the summer.
Parking in Penzance
You can’t take your car to Scilly but there is secure parking at Land’s End Airport, Penzance Heliport and in various locations around Penzance. Some secure parking sites are on the outskirts of Penzance so book parking when you buy your travel tickets and make sure you arrange a shuttle bus or taxi to take you to your departure point.
Arriving By Train
Penzance Station is served by direct trains from London Paddington and the North. The Night Riviera sleeper train leaves Paddington late evening and will get you to Penzance by about 8am the following morning. A shuttle bus runs between the station and Land’s End Airport (12km/7½ miles) and Penzance Heliport. You will need to book a seat in advance and should aim to leave Penzance Station one hour before your scheduled take-off time. You can also get a taxi from the station forecourt. Passengers for the Scillonian can simply walk along the harbour to the Lighthouse Quay.
By sea on the Scillonian
The Scillonian III sails to Scilly from around mid-March to the end of October. It usually departs Penzance at 9.15am with the return sailing leaving St Mary’s at 4.30pm but departure times can vary depending on the tide and weather. The journey takes about 2¾ hours and you get a scenic view of the West Penwith coastline on the way.
In the busiest periods, there are two sailings a day, one departing Penzance at about 6am and one at 1pm. The return sailings from Scilly are at 9.30am and 4.30pm. Day trips to St Mary’s from the mainland are possible if you leave on the early sailing. Many people book a late flight back on the Skybus to get the most time out of their day.
If you are staying overnight on Scilly, load your luggage into the container for your island at Penzance Harbour and attach a colour coded label to your bags. If you’re staying on St Mary’s you can have it delivered to your accommodation for a small fee (write where you’re staying on your luggage label) or pick it up on the quayside when you arrive. Some accommodation providers will pick up you and your luggage by arrangement, otherwise you may need to book a taxi.
If you’re staying on an off-island your luggage will be automatically transferred onto your off-island ferry at Hugh Town Quay and will be unloaded at your destination quay. Most accommodation providers will arrange to meet you at the quay to help you with your bags when you arrive. www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk
By Skybus
Skybus flies to Scilly all year round from Land’s End Airport. You can also fly direct to St Mary’s Airport from Newquay and Exeter airports; this is a more seasonal service. The flight from Land’s End Airport takes about twenty minutes, from Newquay about thirty minutes and from Exeter about sixty minutes. A shuttle bus runs between the train station and Land’s End Airport – you will need to book a seat in advance and should aim to leave Penzance Station an hour before your scheduled take-off time. You can also get a taxi from the station.
www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk
By Helicopter from Penzance
There is a helicopter service from Penzance Heliport (near Sainsbury’s as you come into Penzance on the A30) to St Mary’s Airport and Tresco. The flight time from Penzance Heliport is about 15 minutes. On-site secure parking is available, as well as a shuttle from the train station. Bookings can be made on their website www.penzancehelicopters.co.uk or by calling T: (01736) 780828.

Getting around the inhabited off-islands

The Seahorse comes into Porthconger Quay on St Agnes

Inter-island boast services. St Mary’s @scillyboating, St Agnes @stagnesboating, Bryher, St Martin’s and Tresco @TrescoBoats.

Ferries from St Mary's

St Mary's Boatmen's Association run most of the trips from St Mary's. Ferries run to the inhabited islands throughout the year. There's a reduced service out of season (you'll probably need to book). Ferries to the inhabited off-islands usually depart Hugh Town Quay at about 10.15am with returns throughout the afternoon. Departure times and frequency change according to the tides, weather and time of year so check departure boards and Twitter/Facebook accounts. Buy your ticket at the kiosk on Hugh Town Quay or onboard.  

Off-island ferries

Lightning comes into Lowertown (Hotel) Quay on St Martin's

If you're staying on an off-island, it will have its own boat service). They will run daily services to St Mary's plus a rotating mix of circular and evening trips throughout the week. In addition to their main ferry, most also have a smaller jet boat used for private charter and water taxi runs (above).

Circular Boat Trips

Samson

Abandoned house on Samson

The only uninhabited island where ferries regularly land and a highlight of many holidays on Scilly. Abandoned houses still stand along with many prehistoric tombs on the hill tops. Prehistoric field walls cross the sand flats. Remember to take water, sun cream and a picnic with you.

Eastern Isles

Probably the most popular of the circular trips and usually the one with the calmest sea conditions. Great for getting close to grey seals who haul themselves out on Little Innisvouls. Seabirds nest on the steeper rocks. Private charter boats can drop you on Nornour or Arthur Quay.

Duration: 1¾ hours. Also lands on: St Martin’s

Annet, Western Rocks and the Bishop

A trip to the far southwest of Scilly. Of all the boat trips, this is the one most dependent on sea conditions. If they're not right this trip might not run for a week or more – so it's best to go while you have the opportunity. If it's too rough to go all the way to the Bishop Rock Lighthouse, a shorter 1¼ hour trip may run to Annet for seals and seabirds.  

Duration: 2½ hours. Also lands on: St Agnes

Norrard Rocks

Looking over Rushy Bay on Bryher to the Norrard Rocks

A trip to the rocks and reefs to the west of Samson and Bryher – Illiswilgig, Scilly Rock and the Garden of the Maiden Bower. Grey seals and puffins.

Duration: 1½ hours. Also lands on: Bryher/Tresco

Holy Isles and Round Island Lighthouse

Islands that make up the northern edge of Scilly between Tresco and St Martin's. Round Island with its lighthouse, St Helen's, Teän. Puffins on Men-a-vaur. Private charter boats can drop you on St Helen's or Teän.

Duration: 1½ hours. Also lands on: Tresco, Bryher or St Martin’s

St Mary's circular

A trip around the whole island. A taste of the open sea and coming in close to some of the bays and inlets like Porth Hellick and Pelistry.

Duration: 1¼ hours

Gig Racing

Follow the island gig races. Women race on Wednesday evenings and men on Friday evenings. The courses vary and trips often end up in an off-island pub.

Seabird Specials

Various trips throughout the year in different parts of Scilly to make the most of when seabirds are around. Includes evening trips to catch the return of shearwaters and puffins when they come back to Annet after a day fishing at sea. Puffins are around April to July, shearwaters stay a few weeks later and passing migrants arrive in spring and autumn. Often with commentary by a local bird expert.

Ancient Scilly

Bant's Carn Tomb on St Mary's

Sit back and hear about the history and archaeology of Scilly with an expert on-board commentary, as you cruise the islands.

These extracts are from the Isles of Scilly Guidebook and our Scilly Island by Island books