This post was first written in 2014, and was lasted updated on 5th September 2024.
Whenever I tell people about the Isles of Scilly, 90% of the time they’ve never heard of it.
Most people don’t even know that it’s part of the UK and just 30 miles off the coast of Cornwall, barely an hour’s flight from Exeter, and just a half hour flight from Newquay.
I always respond with ‘it’s a tiny group of paradise islands off the coast of Cornwall’, because to me, they really are. And you don’t even need a passport to visit – if you’re flying you only need a driver’s license!
During the summer when the full sun is shining on the ocean, it’s crystal clear and the loveliest shade of turquoise. It could be the Caribbean (just a little cooler).
Note: this guide is for those doing an extended stay on Scilly, for my day trip guide, read this post instead.
So, grab a cuppa and a biscuit, because this is the ultimate guide to visiting the Isles of Scilly!
Reading time: 10-minutes
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Getting to the Isles of Scilly
There are three ways to get to the Isles of Scilly, and the question over which one to take is the most common question people ask me. It’ll all depend on your budget, how much luggage you’re taking, and whether you have a dog with you (and the size/number of dogs!).
Scillonian: Best Budget Option
Penzance to St Mary’s
If you have the time and the weather is nice, the Scillonian is a beautiful way to arrive at the islands. However, it also has a terrible reputation for making visitors seasick. The only time I’ve ever been seasick was on the Scillonian! So be prepared for it.: take Stugeron’s, carry ginger nut biscuits on you, and sip water.
The Scillonian III sails from Penzance, and takes about 2 hours 45 minutes to get from Penzance to the main island of St Mary’s. It usually costs around £150 per person for a return sailing. Dogs cost roughly an extra £23 each way.
If you’re driving to Penzance I definitely recommend booking the Park and Ride option through Isles of Scilly Travel at the same time as you book the Scillonian. You park your car in their car park and they’ll organise your transport down to the ship on Penzance Quay.
The Scillonian is also the best option if you have lots of luggage, a large dog with you, or multiple dogs. Large dogs cannot go on the Skybus, and if you have multiple dogs, you also won’t be able to go on Skybus unless the dogs are small enough that they can share the one and only crate on the plane.
Skybus: Best for Speed & Ease
Exeter, Newquay, and Land’s End to St Mary’s
Which leads us nicely into the Skybus. The Skybus is my favourite way to travel to Scilly (although my dog Frank isn’t a fan).
There’s a car park attached to the airport with very reasonable parking rates, and it’s only a 15-minute flight from Land’s End to St Mary’s, and the view as you fly over the islands is just beautiful!!
However, it’s about double the price of the Scillonian, and they also charge a lot more for dogs, so it’ll be very pricey to take the Skybus if you’re a family or large group.
It’s also best if you’re travelling light, as the luggage allowance is just 15kg per passenger.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that you can also take the Skybus from Exeter or Newquay, but it’s much more expensive than the flight from Land’s End.
Helicopter: Best for Those Staying on Tresco
Land’s End to Tresco and St Mary’s
I haven’t actually taken the helicopter before. I’ve previously been on a helicopter in Fiji and a helicopter over the Caribbean island of Montserrat, and they make me really nervous, so I try and avoid them.
But, the Penzance Helicopter is the best option if you’re staying on Tresco, as it lands directly on the island so you don’t need to get the little inter-island boat to Tresco when you get to St Mary’s. It’s also not that much more expensive than the Skybus, and they accept dogs onboard.
Travel Considerations & Disruptions
It’s also important to know that there’s a chance your travel will be disrupted by the weather. If it’s too windy or foggy, the planes and helicopter can’t fly, so in this case you’ll be transferred onto the Scillonian and refunded the difference.
With Scilly, the weather rules everything. You need to be prepared to be flexible and try not to stress about it. There have been some instances where travellers were stuck on the islands for days because of travel issues thanks to the weather!
But whenever this does happen the locals all really pitch in and help out. You’ll have locals opening up their homes to house the stranded travellers, boatmen offering to transport travellers to Penzance on fishing boats and RIBs. It’s worth following the Isles of Scilly Noticeboard Facebook page as this is the place where all of this is arranged if there are any weather issues or disruptions.
Choosing Which Island to Stay On
There are five inhabited islands on the Isles of Scilly, and deciding which one to stay on will all depend on what you enjoy doing and the sort of holiday you’re looking for.
It’s important to remember though that you can easily do day trips to each island from St Mary’s as there are regular boat services running between them all, which are posted on the St Mary’s Boatmen’s Association Facebook page a day before. The boats cost £13.50 per person return, which is well worth it and goes towards the running costs of the boats. You can also purchase a weekly ticket which works out more cost-effective if you’ll be there for longer than a few days.
1. St Mary’s
St Mary’s is the main island and is also the largest so has the most amount of things to do, places to eat, and accommodation options.
It’s probably the best place to stay on your first visit to Scilly as it’s much easier to visit the other islands from there as all of the inter-island boats go from St Mary’s. You can then decide which island you love, and stay on that island on a future visit.
Food-wise I love The Atlantic and Hugh Town Cafe, while On the Quay is good but pricey. Accommodation is plentiful, but I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Tregarthen’s Hotel recently and it was very dog-friendly – it’s now my favourite place to stay on Scilly!
2. St Martin’s
St Martin’s without a doubt has the best beaches on Scilly (and probably in the UK). It’s a small island that takes around 40-minutes to walk from one end to the other.
There are only a handful of food options on the island, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Seven Stones Inn and Polreath Tea Rooms. Accommodation-wise I stayed at Karma St Martin’s – the location was completely perfect and really unbeatable, but the hotel is quite tired. I’d recommend looking out for a discounted deal if you want to stay there, rather than paying full price.
When it comes to things to do, the one thing I am *desperate* to do next time I go, is the swimming with seals. You need to book weeks in advance though because it gets booked up very quickly! If, like me, you miss out on the seal swim, you can visit the St Martin’s Vineyard, or try the rum at SC Dogs Distillery.
3. Tresco
Tresco is my favourite island, but I am very biased as my family come from there. It’s the perfect place for plant and nature enthusiasts thanks to the Tresco Abbey Gardens and abundance of wildlife on the island (incuding red squirrels!).
You can stay at the New Inn B&B, the Flying Boat Club, or one of the many self-catering cottages on the island.
Visit the Abbey Gardens, Cromwell Castle, King Charles’s Castle, and Piper’s Hole, plus the countless beaches around the island. There’s a little town square with a general store, a few shops and galleries, the New Inn pub, and Ruin Beach Cafe which does great pizzas!
4. Bryher
Bryher (pronounced bry-er, not brie-er as I’ve heard some tourists pronounce it) is the most rugged and ‘wild’ inhabited island. There isn’t a huge amount to do on Bryher and it’s mostly about the nature and coastal walks, but it is home to one of the best foodie experiences I’ve ever had: The Crab Shack.
It’s also worth noting that Bryher is not the most dog-friendly island, so probably best to avoid if you have a dog.
This is the perfect place for those looking for a real escape from the everyday, and make sure you stop by Veronica Farm for some fudge!
5. St Agnes
St Agnes is an island I haven’t visited since I was seven years old, in 1998, so I can’t really speak to it. But on my way home this year I got chatting to a mum and her nine-year-old daughter, and her daughter said St Agnes was her favourite island because she loved the beaches there!
Visit Westward Farm Gin and 28 Miles Shop, walk around the island and enjoy the scenery and wildlife, or you can also walk over to nearby Gugh at low tide. There’s also the St Agnes Boating Safaris!
The Turk’s Head on St Agnes is a very well-regarded pub on Scilly, and if you’re staying on another island the boat service frequently runs ‘supper boats’ which take you to St Agnes for the evening so you can enjoy dinner at The Turk’s Head.
Where to Stay on the Isles of Scilly
There are plenty of options for accommodation on Scilly, most of the islands have a hotel or B&B, camping sites, and holiday rental homes. Tresco is the main tourist island, particularly for families or those who enjoy luxury travel.
1. Boutique Hotels on Scilly
Tregarthen’s Hotel on St Mary’s is my new favourite place to stay on the Isles of Scilly. It’s a gorgeous boutique hotel that’s very dog-friendly and they do a delicious breakfast. Treat yourself to a sea-view room for a glorious view over St Mary’s quay and the sea. On St Mary’s there’s also the Star Castle Hotel (also dog friendly), and the Bell Rock Hotel and St Mary’s Hall Hotel (neither of which are dog friendly).
If you want to stay on Tresco, I stayed at the New Inn Pub and Guesthouse in 2014 (read more in my post here), and highly recommend it at the time. The rooms were small but light and airy, and mine had a huge sash windows overlooking the ocean and neighboring island Bryher. The staff were really helpful, there was free wifi, and homemade cookies and loose tea in the room!
This year I also stayed at Karma St Martin’s, which is beautiful for the location, but I found the rooms tired and the hotel in general needed a refresh and interior refurbishment. It’s very expensive for what’s included, but it is very dog-friendly – they really make the dogs feel very welcome and I did really love that about it.
I’ve also heard excellent things about the Hell Bay Hotel on Bryher, but I haven’t stayed there myself so can’t speak for it.
2. Self-Catering
A lot of people rent a holiday home when they stay on Scilly. We did the first time we visited in the nineties and it was perfect to have a base on St Mary’s for a week to fully explore.
I think self-catering is the best way to go on Scilly if you have children, a family, or a large group.
The best place to search for a self-catering rental for your stay is on the Visit Isles of Scilly website. Tresco also has a huge amount of self-catering options on their website.
3. Camping & Glamping
If you’re after a more adventurous trip, there are lots of camping and glamping options on Scilly.
St Martin’s has a campsite, and there’s the well-regarded Troytown Campsite & Bell Tent rental on St Agnes. While there isn’t camping on Tresco, there is camping on nearby Bryher, and St Mary’s has a campsite that includes an option to just bring your sleeping bag and pillow and they’ll provide the actual tent equipment.
For glamping, there are shepherd’s huts and glamping options on St Martin’s and St Mary’s.
What to Do on Isles of Scilly
Most of the islands have similar activities, which include; boating, fishing, birdwatching, walking, boat excursions, beaches, and caving. You can even do coasteering with Kernow Coasteering!
On St Mary’s there’s much more to see and do, including an interesting little museum on the history of the Isles of Scilly. There are also various events going on all-year round, so it’s worth seeing if there’s anything happening that interests you.
Here are a few of my favourite things to do on Scilly…
1. Visit the Beaches
The beaches on Scilly are absolutely stunning. They truly look like Caribbean or Mediterranean islands.
There are so many I won’t list them all, but some of my personal favourites are: Old Town Bay on St Mary’s, Appletree Bay on Tresco, and Lower Town Beach on St Martin’s.
2. Walking & Nature
The majority of Scilly’s visitors visit for the walking and nature. It’s such a unique place to visit, and the walking opportunities are plentiful and beautiful!
You can walk across an island and feel completely alone and isolated, and totally at peace. It really is a feeling that’s hard to convey if you haven’t been there and experienced it.
3. Tresco Abbey Gardens
Because of the Isles of Scilly’s humid sub-tropical climate, the Tresco Abbey Gardens are able to grow plants from all over the world, and has over 2000 specimens from across the southern hemisphere and subtropics, from Brazil to Australia, and Myanmar to South Africa.
The gardens were built in 1830 by Augustus Smith, on the location of a 12th Century Benedictine Abbey, and it’s where my great-great grandfather AND my great-great-great grandfather worked!
With prices starting from £5 for under-16s up to £18 for adults, the garden is open Monday – Sunday 10:00 – 16:00, and although it remains open throughout the year, the Garden Visitor Centre and Cafe is closed during the winter (early November until March).
4. Distillery Tours
Did you know that Scilly is home to FOUR different alcohol companies!? There’s St Martin’s Vineyard, SC Dogs Distillery on St Martin’s which makes both rum and vodka, Westward Farm Scilly Gin on St Agnes, and Scilly Spirit Island Gin on St Mary’s.
These companies offer distillery tours and you can buy the drinks directly from the businesses after the tour. I bought my grandma a little bottle of the Scilly Spirit Island Gin the Christmas before she passed away, and she declared it ‘very good’ – which is a very high honour as she was very fussy with her gin and was quite the connoisseur!
You can actually attend the Scilly Spirit’s ‘Gin School’ where you make your own gin and take a bottle of it home, and they will even keep your recipe and if you wish to order it again, they’ll will make it up and send it to you!
5. Historic Forts & Castles
Because of Scilly’s location it’s home to dozens of historic forts, and even two castles. Scilly has a really rich and fascinating history, and I highly recommend taking a ‘Scilly Walks’ tour with Dr Katharine Sawyer.
Dr Sawyer is Scilly’s resident historian and archeologist, and is able to give visitors a fascinating insight into the history of the islands. Next time I’m on Scilly I’m hoping I’ll be able to catch her boat tour over to the uninhabited island of Samson, as my Woodcock family are from there!
Samson is a really interesting place as it was home to just two families: the Webbers and Woodcock’s, and they ended up having to leave as they were living in poverty and surviving off limpits. You can still see the mountains of limpit shells and the ruined cottages on the island.
If you want to explore by yourself, my favourite historic fort is King Charles’s Castle on Tresco. St Mary’s is also full of historic sites, including the Garrison walls, the Star Castle Hotel, Bants Carn Battery, Bants Carn burial chamber, and Porth Hellick burial chamber.
6. Swim with Seals
Like I said earlier, St Martin’s offers a seal swim which is apparently incredible and completely unforgettable! The company are based in Higher Town, and it’s a 2.5 hour trip in total, which includes the 10-minute boat trip out to the seal colony, the swim with seals, and the 10-minute boat trip back.
I tried to do it on this year’s visit but it was sadly fully booked. You really need to book it weeks or months in advance as it’s a really popular activity.
7. Boat Excursions
Scilly is the perfect place for a boat excursion! You’ll see puffins, seals, dolphins, and more.
Not only are there the St. Mary’s Boatmen’s Association tripper boats from St Mary’s, but there are also wildlife boating excursions and day trips operated by St. Agnes Boating, Tresco Boat Services, Endeavour Rib Service, Scilly Sea Safaris and Seaquest Glass Bottom Boat.
Some boat services also offer private tours, and there are regular water taxi services from their bases to all the other islands, including the uninhabited islands like Samson.
Dining Options on Scilly
The food on the Isles of Scilly is honestly some of the best I’ve had.
Most of the food served is local and the seafood freshly caught. Fruit and veg is home-grown, and the islands have their own dairy and beef farm.
There are plenty of pubs, restaurants, and bars on the islands, ones I can personally recommend are the New Inn on Tresco, the Flying Boat Restaurant on Tresco, and the Hell Bay Hotel and Hell Bay Crab Shack on Bryher. I also loved the Seven Stones Inn and Polreath tea rooms on St Martin’s, and The Atlantic, On the Quay, and Hugh Town Cafe on St Mary’s.
Weather on Scilly
The weather on the Isles of Scilly is generally pretty good, being one of the mildest and warmest climates in the UK. Even during winter it doesn’t often go below 6 degrees celcius, and in summer it doesn’t often dip below 18 degrees c. There have been rare occasions when it has snowed in winter, but this really is very rare.
However, it is quite often very windy on the sea and surrounding coastline, and it can be quite rainy at times, so even if you’re visiting in the height of summer, always take a jumper and light rain coat!
A Perfect Staycation
The Isles of Scilly is honestly one of the most beautiful places in the UK. I personally think the best time to go is June, and this is when you’ll get more guaranteed sunshine and less rain, plus it’s outside of the school holidays.
It’s just such an underrated place and the ideal holiday destination for families, couples, and friends, and even solo travellers. It has something for everyone, especially if you love the great outdoors and nature!
Just don’t tell too many people about it 😉
Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of Content Marketing at Amazon by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.
I've loved reading your posts about your trip. I've always wanted to visit the Isles of Scilly since living in Cornwall a few years ago, but never really knew much about it or what to do there. Your posts have really given me an insight so I'm actually thinking about visiting with my partner next year when we head back down to Cornwall anyway.
Bookmarked for future reference 🙂
Tamsyn-Elizabeth
Peach Pow XO
Aw, thank you, it's so great to get feedback like that! I'm so glad you've enjoyed the posts, do let me know if you go next year – I'd love to hear all about your experience!
C x
Love it! Making me miss my hols there this year even more! Thanks for sharing your trip there 🙂
Rosie xx
Beautiful place. I would love to visit it, maybe next year.
Anca @ ancaslifestyle | UK
This is so lovely to read – I'm off there next month, and I'm already so excited. We're flying from Exeter and staying on St Mary's but I'm hoping to explore a bit further as well.