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If you hold your Coastal Skipper Practical or higher qualification consider a visit to the breathtaking Isles of Scilly, a destination like nowhere else in England. In our Isles of Scilly cruising guide below, we introduce you to the five main inhabited islands however, there are around unihabited 140 isles and islets to explore, making the islands a fantastic place for a summer getaway.
Lying 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall, this low-lying archipelago has much to offer with powder soft white sandy beaches, incredible seafood, exceptional wildlife and crystal clear waters.
Providing conditions permit, the voyage across takes around eight hours from Penzance and it is advisable to arrive during daylight hours due to the shallow waters, strong tidal streams and jagged rocks which protrude from the ocean. It is also important to note that the entire archipelago is weather and swell dependent so it is crucial to keep an eye on conditions and move according to the wind.
The Navily website provides a good overview of places to anchor around the islands which will help you plan ahead or find somewhere sheltered should conditions change.
St Mary’s
For those visiting Scilly, St. Mary’s is the first glimpse they get of island life. It’s the largest island in the cluster, but still very small; the entire circumference is little more than 9 miles. The tiny capital Hugh Town is where you’ll find the main Harbour Office and, if you need, you can contact the Harbour Master on hm@stmarys-harbour.co.uk, VHF: Working Channel 14, call sign ‘St Mary’s Harbour’ or by calling 01720 422768. Hugh Town is also home to the only supermarket on the island, ideal for stocking up on a few essentials, as well as several pubs, cafes and restaurants where you can enjoy fantastic food with amazing views.
Away from the bustling harbour, St Mary’s is home to plenty of bays and coves where you can anchor or moor up and once you’ve picked your spot then there’s plenty to enjoy.
Head to the top of Telegraph Hill, take in the sweeping views from Peninnis Lighthouse, wander the secret paths through the tranquil Carreg Dhu garden or discover the Bronze Age burial chamber at Bant’s Carn and the ancient settlement at Halangy Down. Feel the sand between your toes on Pelistry Bay or experience the boardwalks and hides along the Lower and Higher Moors nature trails.
Step over to Old Town for the sheer beauty and quiet of Old Town Bay, flanked on one side by a tiny medieval candlelit church. Look out for the unassuming and secluded grave of the former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson amidst the ancient Scillonian gravestones with the sea in the background, stretching endlessly out into the distance.
Wherever you find yourself, you’ll never be too far from somewhere to try some delicious local produce at cafés and restaurants, many with equally impressive views. From island- reared duck to freshly-landed lobster, mackerel and crab; for an island so small, St. Mary’s is laden with tasty delights. After a potter along the beach for sea treasures or a wander along the nature trails, discover an array of local eateries serving fresh cakes, cream teas, lobster lunches and fresh crab. There’s even a gin distillery, microbrewery and vineyard to visit to help quench your thirst!
Bryher
Beautiful Bryher has long-inspired poets, artists and writers thanks to her wild beauty and shell-strewn beaches. Michael Morpurgo chose Bryher as the setting for several of his acclaimed novels including ‘Why the Whales Came’ having spent his childhood holidays on the island before returning later in life with his own family.
At just one and a half miles long, what Bryher lacks in size, she makes up for in charm with much for visitors to experience. From shear, rugged cliffs that face the Atlantic ocean to sheltered, glassy coves: the untamed wilderness of Bryher makes her the perfect place to play castaway.
Drop anchor or beach in the Tresco channel before stepping ashore to stretch legs with a walk up to the granite stacks at Shipman Head, from here, the next stop is America! If you’re after serenity then continune round to the southern shore where turquoise waters gently lap the sandy shores.
Hell Bay is a great place to unwind with a book and delicious meal at The Crab Shack or you can choose to indulge in Island Fish’s signature paella or fresh-off-the-boat seafood before tucking into some Tatty cake from Bryher Shop, or delicious creamy fudge from Veronica Farm.
Tresco
Unlike the other islands, Tresco is privately owned by the Dorian-Smith family and is the second biggest island in the Isles of Scilly chain. Offering a slightly more sophisticated and stylish side to island life, Tresco is home to world-famous, sub-tropical gardens as well as an award-winning spa, art-galleries, secluded bays and aquamarine waters.
An absoute must for those who visit, Tresco Abbey Gardens is a botanical paradise, planted amidst the ruins of a Benedictine priory and housing a phenomenal 20,000 plant species, collected from as far and wide as New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and South America. Red squirrels were introduced in 2013 and now can be seen darting between branches and wandering along the many paths. The gardens are also home to the fascinating Valhalla museum – a collection of figureheads collated from shipwrecks around the islands.
Back on the coast, spend a few hours beachcombing along Pentle Bay or Appletree Bay, both of which have found themselves named as one the world’s best beaches. Wildlife enthusiasts can linger at Great Pool to experience the many migratory birds which flock here whilst history lovers can discover Bronze-Age tombs on Tregarthen Hill or climb Cromwell’s Castle which stands guard on the channel between Tresco and Bryher.
For a truly unique experience, visit during one of the ‘Low Tide Events’ in April or September when the big Spring Tides expose a long sandbar which hosts a pop-up foodie event. Visitors can walk across to spend an hour enjoying the local fare before it’s time to pack everything up and head back for land. Always a slight race against the clock, this incredible event is not to be missed.
St Martin’s
Considered to be the most ‘Caribbean-esque’ in appearance, St Martin’s boasts fine, white sandy beaches which disappear beneath astonishingly bright blue waters. Saunter along the sandy expanse of Lawrence’s Bay, get your step-count in with a jaunt around the vineyard, unpack a picnic on Bread and Cheese Cove or launch into the iridescent seas lapping Par Beach. With endless stretches of sand, clusters of cowrie shells and clear shimmering bays, it’s little wonder St Martin’s is known as the paradise isle.
Inland you’ll discover colourful wild flowers, heather and gorse along the wild, moorlike lands. Climb to the iconic Daymark atop Chapel Down and you’ll be rewarded with sightings of Guillemots, Kestrels, and Peregrines that play in the updrafts, as well as views across to the seal colonies that inhabit the Eastern Isles.
The inhabitants here are an inherently creative bunch; shop for handmade jewellery made by Fay Page, who takes her inspiration from the seas, savour freshly baked goodies from Island Bakery or visit SC Salt to see how they harvest the salt from the azure waters at Par Beach. For food with a view it has to be the Sevenstones Inn or chic Karma St Martin’s, where you can practically eat on the beach.
And as the light fades, gaze upwards to behold the unpolluted dark skies and shimmering stars from the fantastic community observatory.
St Agnes
Isolated, wild and independent, St Agnes is the only island in the Isles of Scilly to be separated from the rest of the islands by a deep-water channel. Connected by a petite sandbar to Gugh, at low-tide you can wander across and experience complete separation for a few hours until the tide drops again with only the wildlife and exceptional views for company.
Thanks to its remoteness, St Agnes is a haven for wildlife with Storm Petrels and Manx Shearwater starting to breed again here for the first time living memory, thanks to the highly successful Seabird Recovery Project.
St. Agnes is also home to Troytown farm, the most southerly settlement in the UK, possibly the smallest farm in the UK, and certainly the producer of some of the finest ice cream in the UK – in our opinion!
Those who love the outdoors can take advantage of the plentiful adventure opportunities here from snorkelling to kayaking, fishing and rock-pooling. After a busy day working up an appetite in the fresh air, dive into a hearty meal at the Turk’s Head pub, the most south-westerly pub in the British Isles nestled above Porth Congar quay, overlooking Gugh. Food with a view doesn’t get much better.
