The Isles of Scilly

One of Cornwall’s many advantages is its close

proximity to one of the UK’s most picturesque

collection of islands – the Isles of Scilly.

Situated approximately 30 miles off the Cornish coast, the

archipelago spans numerous granite rock islands, of which five

are inhabited: St Mary’s, Tresco, St Agnes, St Martin’s and Bryher.

Divided by a stretch of the most treacherous of the waters

surrounding Cornwall, the crossing on the ferry,

Scillonian III, in bad weather is not for those with a

weak constitution, so it’s a good thing you can also reach

the islands via the Skybus.

The islands have a rare beauty and are popular with, amongst

others, twitchers, ramblers, artists, garden lovers, yachties and

those who simply want to stop their world for a while and call a

‘time-out’ while relaxing on unspoiled white sand beaches.

St Mary’s is the largest of the islands, with a generous

harbour able to accommodate the ferry and the cargo ship Gry

Maritha as well as visiting cruise ships. The island is ideal to use

as your base during your stay and getting around St Mary’s is

straightforward as nowhere is very far to walk; the island, at just

over 1500 acres, is twice as big as Tresco.

If you wanted to walk around the island the coastline

measures only 10 miles and at a gentle pace it shouldn’t take

you more than four or five hours. Cars are permitted on St

Mary’s for residents but not for visitors; the other islands do

not allow cars at all. There is a scheduled bus service as well as

several taxis operating on the island and if you fancy a bit of

island hopping there are a number of daily passenger boats.

The boatmen on the islands are well organised and trips leave

St Mary’s from 10.00am every morning. However, at the end of

the day they have to leave on time because of the tides, and do

not wait, so you are well advised to listen to the departure times!

There are plenty of things to do both on the water and on the

land during your stay. There is an excellent Tourist Information

Centre in Hugh Town, St Mary’s where the staff will be able to

help with any queries. Practically every pastime and hobby is

catered for, from guided walks and talks, to fishing, scuba

diving and glass bottom boat tours, islands by air with

Skybus; the list is endless.

Tresco is the second largest island and the Abbey Gardens are

a great place to visit with a wide variety of plants from all over

the world.

In the 12th century, Benedictine Monks established a priory on

Tresco, around which the gardens were built, the only remnants

are a couple of archways and some lengths of wall. The gardens

were begun by Augustus Smith who was granted a lease to

the Isles of Scilly in 1834 and it was he who built the Abbey

as his home. Successive members of the family have added to

the gardens and all visitors to the Isles of Scilly should put at

least half a day aside for a visit to the 17-acre arena which was

described by Walter Besant as ‘Kew with the roof off’. Because

of the climate there are plants here that are not grown in the

open anywhere else in the UK. The gardens also house ‘Valhalla’,

a collection of 28 figureheads from ships wrecked around the

islands and a poignant reminder of how dangerous the ocean

around the islands was, and still is, for the unwary navigator.

The gardens, for which there is an admission charge, have a shop

and café that are open every day from 10.00am until 6.00pm.

The island also has tennis courts, an open-air heated

swimming pool, a general store, a pub, eateries and an

art gallery.

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St Martin’s is the third largest island at less than two miles long

and 600 acres in size and is blessed with long white sandy beaches.

If you get a beautiful summer’s day, you can sit on one of the

practically deserted beaches and imagine yourself to be relaxing in

the Caribbean. Don’t be fooled by the crystal clear turquoise ocean

though; the sea temperature doesn’t quite match up to the tropical

waters of St Lucia or Jamaica. The island with a population in the

region of 100 has a general store and post office, a fantastic bakery,

art and craft galleries, a vineyard, cafes, a pub and a hotel.

The rugged island of St Agnes features a whitewashed

lighthouse and stone cottages that tumble down to the farmland

and gorgeous flowerfields. The island is home to beautiful sandy

coves, heathlands, and unusual natural surroundings that attract

butterflies, moths and rare birds.

The Bar is a sandy causeway that links St Agnes to its neighbour

Hugh and the two sheltered tongues of water offer idyllic crystal

clear waters for swimmers.

St Agnes offers an oceanfront pub, fish restaurant, cafes,

a campsite, B&B’s, self-catering accommodation, a post office,

grocery store and a farm that sells milk, eggs, meat organic

vegetables, honey and narcissi.

Bryher, the smallest of the inhabited islands, is an island of

contrasts with the frightening sounding Hell Bay on the west

coast, where Atlantic rollers crash in, and the peaceful views from

the east coast across the narrow, normally calm channel to Tresco.

Bryher only has a population of about 80 people but the Fraggle

Rock Bar has earned the accolade of a Jamie Oliver ‘Best British

Boozer’ where the sales of every Fair-trade hot drink help support

the local Wildlife Trust.

To get to the Isles of Scilly, you can choose to travel by sea or

air but not on a Sunday when there are no flights or ferry trips

to or from the islands. This March sees the launch of Penzance

Helicopters’ service to either Tresco or St Mary’s from the new

heliport at Eastern Green in Penzance. A 12 seater state-of-the-art

AW139 helicopter will whisk you to the islands in 15 minutes.

The Scillonian III ferry departs from Penzance and takes just under

3 hours. Skybus operates a plane service from Land’s End, where

the company has invested in a new terminal, Newquay and Exeter.

If you are pushed for time daytrips are available and if you took

the Penzance Helicopters first flight out and the last flight back you

would have 8 hours on the islands. Alternatively you could take

the morning ferry from Penzance which will get you to St Mary’s

in time for a leisurely lunch and a look around before returning to

Penzance on the late afternoon ferry. A fly out/sail back option is

also available which gives you some more time on St Mary’s.

If you want to take your dog(s) then you can buy tickets for them

on either the ferry or skybus but please note that Skybus only

have ‘Sky Kennels’ on the flights from/to Land’s End.

Isles of Scilly Parking Co Ltd.Telephone bookings 01736 332727Mobile 07724 879 482ONLINE BOOKING and payment service at: www.islesofscillyparking.co.ukcontact@islesofscillyparking.co.uk

Secure parking in Penzance for visitors and residents.

•Secureattendedindoor and outdoor parking with over 200 spaces

•Wecanparkanything, anytime;boats,trailers, campers and bikes. From a Mini Cooper to a coach

•Friendly,professional and reliable

•Fullyinsuredcollection and delivery service to and from Penzance Heliport

•Valeting,servicing, bodywork and MOTs arranged by appointment

The biggest and the best; others can copy us,butcannotreachourlevelsofservice.

Closest possible parking to the Scillonian

Image courtesy: Visit Isles of Scilly

Image courtesy: Visit Isles of Scilly

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Climb aboard Penzance Helicopters’ state-of-the-art helicopter and prepare to be whisked away to the

enchanted islands of Tresco and St Mary's. Taking off from the Penzance Heliport, you can enjoy the

incredible views of the the legendary St Michael's Mount and the golden beaches on the Cornish coast,

before arriving at the picturesque Isles of Scilly.

info@penzancehelicopters.co.uk01736 780828

scan me withyour smartphone

Book your flights today at www.penzancehelicopters.co.uk

Visiting the Isles of Scilly is magical.Getting there by helicopter is unforgettable.

Isles of Scilly

St Martin’s

St Mary’s

Tresco

Bryher

St Agnes

Samson

Gugh

St Helen’sTean

SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONSAbbey Garden, Tresco

Bant’s Carn Burial Chamber and Halangy Down Ancient Village, St. Mary’s

Carreg Dhu Community Garden, St. Mary’s

Cromwell’s Castle, Tresco

King Charles’ Castle, Tresco

Isles of Scilly Museum, St Mary’s

The Bishop Rock Lighthouse - the tallest lighthouse in the UK

The Garrison, St. Mary’s

The Maze on the west side of Castella Down, St Agnes

FOOD & DRINKHELL BAY HOTEL RESTAURANTBryher, TR23 0PR T: 01720 422947 W: www.hellbay.co.uk

JULIET’S GARDEN RESTAURANTSeaways/Porthlow, St Mary’s TR21 0NF T: 01720 422 228 W: www.julietsgardenrestaurant.co.uk

ST. MARTIN’S VINEYARDSt. Martin’s, TR25 0QL T: 01720 423418 W: www.stmartinsvineyard.co.uk

TROYTOWN FARM, DAIRY & SHOPSt Agnes, TR22 0PL T: 01720 422360 W: www.troytown.co.uk

SHOPS & ART GALLERIESGALLERY TRESCONew Grimsby, Tresco Island TR24 0QF T: 01720 424 925 W: www.tresco.co.uk/enjoying/gallery-tresco

GLANDORE GALLERYPorthloo, St. Marys, TR21 0NE T: 01720 422535 W: www.glandorescilly.info

TRAVEL TO/FROM ISLES OF SCILLYISLES OF SCILLY TRAVEL‘Nowhere’, Old Town, St Mary’s, TR21 0NH T: 01736 334220 W: www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

PENZANCE HELICOPTERSPenzance Heliport, Jelbert Way, Long Rock, Penzance T: 01604 817115 W: www.penzancehelicopters.co.uk

ACTIVITIESBOAT TRIPSSt Mary’s Boatmen’s Association, St Mary’s T: 01720 423999 W: www.scillyboating.co.uk

FISHINGSt Mary’s Boatmen’s Association, St Mary’s T: 01720 423999 W: www.scillyboating.co.uk

ISLAND SEA SAFARIS‘Nowhere’, Old Town, St Mary’s, TR21 0NH T: 01720 422732 W: www.islandseasafaris.co.uk

ISLAND WILDLIFE TOURS42 Sally Port, St. Mary’s TR21 OJE T: 01720 422212 W: www.islandwildlifetours.co.uk

SCILLY DIVINGHighertown, St Martin’s TR25 0QL T: 01720 422848 W: www.scillydiving.com

THE ISLES OF SCILLY BOAT HIREBennett Boatyard, Bryher TR23 0PR T: 07979 393206 W: www.bennettboatyard.com

THE SAILING CENTREPorthmellon, St Marys TR21 0NE T: 01720 422060 W: www.sailingscilly.com

Here are some of the best restaurants, cafes, shops and attractions to visit during your stay in the Isles of Scilly.

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