The Guide 2015
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THE GUIDE 2015 ST. MARY’S TRESCO ST. MARTIN’S BRYHER ST. AGNES A LIFETIME'S LOVE AFFAIR FOREWORD BY VALERIE SINGLETON, TRAVEL WRITER, TV PRESENTER (AND ONE TIME BLUE PETER LEGEND) The Isles of Scilly definitely catch at people’s hearts. Those who have never been are longing to go. Those who have, want to return and many do - again and again. Honeymoons, holidays and childhood vacations, inevitably lead to a lifetime’s love affair. Several friends were very envious of my visit. There really is only one way to see the different islands properly and that’s on foot. It’s only on the largest islands of St. Mary’s and Tresco that it’s possible to hire a golf buggy or a bike. The lack of vehicles on the other islands (except for deliveries) is one of the joys of being there. The coastal paths are easy to follow but my purchase of small foldable walking maps from the delightful and absorbing museum on St. Mary’s (well worth a couple of hours) meant I missed nothing on the way. The beaches are exquisite; with vast expanses of glorious white sand and when I was there, deliciously empty. The views of other islands as I walked were ever changing as was the weather. Adding to the charm and unexpectedness of the landscape. Each island has its own character and I loved deciding at a moment’s notice which one I would visit that day and hopping on a boat at the quayside. Would it be Tresco, Brhyer, St. Martins, St. Agnes... nowhere taking long to reach. The history of the islands is fascinating. Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements… ruined castles on Tresco and the Star Castle on St. Mary’s, now a hotel, built for defence by Elizabeth I, with years of conflict and royal guests and (it’s said) a ghost, all show the islands' many years of habitation. I spent a magical morning in the renowned Tresco Abbey Garden created just under a couple of hundred years ago by the arrival of Augustus Smith. What a work of love and dedication to transform a barren headland into the beautiful gardens that exist today. It’s not surprising so many visitors return so often to these special and relaxing islands. It exerts over me, like many others, an inexorable pull. As soon as I left, I wanted to return. NOVELIST MAGGIE O’FARRELL FOR THE TIMES FIVE ISLANDS ONE DESTINATION IN THIS GUIDE Features 8 Love Scilly 36 Travel guide 8 Ten reasons to love Scilly Allow yourself to imagine a simpler, more beautiful place. Every visitor to Scilly will fall in love with something different, but here are some An archipelago set in clear of our favourites. waters just minutes from the coast of Cornwall, yet a world 42 Perfection through a lens apart from everyday life. Despite photographing the world, nowhere has yet come close to Merryn Thomas' childhood home - the 'most special place on Earth'. Islands guide 16 Introducing the Isles of Scilly 52 In search of foodie heaven Loosening her waistband, Sue Bradbury 14 Islands guide 18 – St. Mary's sets off to the islands in search of great things to eat and drink. 24 – Tresco 62 What to do on an island 26 – St. Martin's Sail, ride, snorkel, walk, explore. On Scilly you can do everything... 28 – Bryher or nothing at all. 30 – St. Agnes 32 Island hopping Active Foodie heaven Accommodation 62 52 68 Travel guide 38 Fly or sail 40 Arriving on the islands Staying on Scilly 66 Finding the perfect place 68 Accommodation index 76 Accommodation listings 116 Island maps They exude a nostalgia for a slower pace of life, where kids are free to roam and enjoy the natural environment. A PLACE LIKE WILLIAM GRAY, FAMILY TRAVELLER NOWHERE ELSE The Isles of Scilly are like nowhere else in England. Outstandingly beautiful, uncrowded and unspoilt, they nestle just off Cornwall but TEN seem like a world apart. They offer a certain quality of life long lost to many other parts of the UK. Nearly everyone who comes here falls in love with Scilly and yearns to return. No doubt you’ll have REASONS your own reasons, but here are a few of our favourites. TO LOVE Life on the water TWO Scilly pulsates to the rhythm of the sea. In summer, the coves and quays come alive with boats of every shape and size. Fishing boats SCILLY venture out at dawn as cruise liners inch into “The Roads”. Inter-island boats take off on trips and tours. And fun seekers enjoy messing about on dinghies, paddleboards and kayaks. You can snorkel with seals, too, and dive the wrecks. Explore Scilly on the water and experience the essence of island life. ONE THREE The journey Dazzling birds and wildlife Getting to Scilly is an adventure. Where else in England will you arrive on holiday on a scheduled flight from a tiny airport in a small 8 or 19-seater The Isles of Scilly are home to a rich diversity of wildlife. It is the only aircraft? With a pilot who doubles as your tour guide? Arriving by sea from place in England where storm petrels breed. Home to 75% of the world’s Penzance is equally pleasurable… set sail aboard the passenger ferry and Manx shearwater population, the islands also enjoy a high population of leave all your worries behind. Nothing to do except watch for the wildlife, song thrushes. Puffins arrive at the end of April and leave around mid-July. enjoy a coffee and simply relax. Look out too for cormorants, gannets, seals and occasional dolphins. Enjoy a guided wildlife excursion by boat or on foot with resident experts. www.visitislesofscilly.com FIVE SEVEN Family fun and freedom FOUR Scilly is a wonderful place for families to wind back the clock to a more carefree lifestyle - simple pastimes and time spent together outdoors. Spend long days combing the seashore, building sandcastles, paddling, fishing and crabbing, taking a boat on a wildlife safari, enjoying leisurely bike rides or exploring on horseback. With quieter roads on St. Mary’s and just a handful of vehicles on off-islands, Scilly is a haven for children who want to roam free. Not one destination, but five! An amazing heritage There’s no better way to experience Scilly Scilly’s history is utterly compelling – and to than island hopping by boat. You’ll soon this day influences and blends with daily life discover that each of the inhabited islands on the islands. From maritime shipwrecks has a unique charm and character all its to Bronze Age burial chambers dating back own, and many an hour will be spent 3,000 years; from deserted Christian debating with family and friends about chapels on St. Helen’s to heavily fortified which is your own particular favourite. castles and headlands from the English Tripper boats run daily between all five Civil War. Our tiny land mass is home to 239 inhabited islands as well as the larger scheduled monuments, giving the islands uninhabited isles like Samson and the a greater density of historical sites than Eastern Isles. anywhere else in the British Isles. Deserted beaches to call your own Wonderful walking... EIGHT Marvel at the long stretches of largely People come to Scilly year-round to explore deserted fine white sand beaches its wilderness on foot, and no wonder. There reminiscent of the Caribbean, some lined are more than 30 miles of nature trails and with marram grass, and the sparkling walks on St. Mary’s alone, while all the crystal clear blue waters that surround the off-islands offer fantastic opportunities to archipelago. Admire too the plethora of walk their length and breadth. Every April tiny inlets, coves and rocky outcrops that and September, Scilly hosts a festival of punctuate the more rugged of our themed walks – an opportunity to enjoy coastlines. Balmy summer days or wild guided walks taking in our spectacular winter blows, there’s a deserted beach history, diverse coastal and country for every mood. Just for you. scenery, exotic plants, wildlife and more. SIX 10 Creative souls TEN ROMANTIC Artists flock to Scilly and many never leave. They’re lured to the islands by the intensity SCILLY of light and its effect on ever-changing seascapes and landscapes. Every island It’s hard not to fall in love with has galleries and every island has artists or on the Isles of Scilly. working in a variety of media – from oil painting, watercolours, leatherwork and Whatever your special reason jewellery to exquisite stained glass, pottery for loving these beautiful and screen-printing. Feast your eyes, even islands, they are the perfect take part in May’s Art Scilly Week, and take home some memories to cherish. place for your special occasion. If you’re planning a wedding, Fantastic Scillonian fare considering a civil ceremony or seeking to renew your vows here, you Here on Scilly, not only do you know where can choose to make that commitment your food comes from, but you can also in the beautifully-located Beachside often point to the fisherman or farmer who Room at the Register Office right on provided it! We take great pride in our rich Porthcressa Beach, or at any of the variety of local Scillonian produce – freshly- licensed venues across the islands. caught lobster and crab, succulent duck and beef, tatty cake, lush ice cream, jams, fudge, www.scilly.gov.uk/ceremonies- wines and beers – all grown or produced registration lovingly across the islands and served up at many of our restaurants, cafés, pubs and If you’d like to explore getting married farm stalls.