Isles of Scilly Travel Guide | Tresco, Bryher, St Marys, St Agnes, St Martins

Welcome to the Isles of Scilly. This is a set of beautiful paradise-like islands around 18 miles off the coast of Cornwall in the west of England. The only way to get here is by a three-hour ferry ride, which is quite rough, or alternatively by small carrier aircraft from Newquay airport. The islands are famed for their immense beauty, their amazing sandy beaches, and their abundance of wildlife. The air here is so clear that lichen grows on every rock face. In the spring and the summer you can even spy puffins, seals swimming in the water. It's a hiker's paradise and there are only five inhabited islands here, with only a few thousand residents permanently. In the summer though it does get very busy, as this is a bit like the Maldives of the UK. So this is where everyone wants to come on holiday to sunbathe on the beach, eat fish and chips by the seaside, and generally absorb a taste of life outside of the hustle and bustle of every day on the mainland. So let's go and see what the Salonian Isles have to offer. This is Tresco and it's probably the most popular of all the Scilly Isles, thanks to its world-famous abbey gardens. You can easily visit as a day trip from St Mary's and the boat takes around 20 minutes. It was really really packed so they actually put on two boats today and that just shows how popular this island is. There's also two castles to explore and typically the boat will drop you off at New Grimsby, which is one of the main towns on the island, and from here you can walk up to the north to see the castles. So that's what we're going to do now. Tresco is actually the most sheltered of all the Scilly Islands and that leads it to have a really unique microclimate which supports very tropical and subtropical plants. As you walk along the coastline you can enjoy views onto Briar, which is just behind me, and as well onto St Mary's. The only point of the island which isn't protected is the northern tip. In 1648 the Isles of Scilly took part in a rebellion against parliament. This actually really upset Dutch forces and they came into conflict with the people of the Isles of Scilly. It was at this point that the island began to become fortified. By 1651 the Dutch had had enough and so they declared war on the Isles of Scilly. They also began a blockade of the isles which meant that no supplies could come in and out. Although this was a royalist stronghold, the parliament decided under Cromwell's control that this could no longer be the case and they needed to get back in favour with the Dutch, but also they were worried that the islands would fall under foreign control and the English would lose them forever. And so in 1651 they built Cromwell's castle. Today you can visit it. The ruins of King Charles' castle lie at the top of that hill and date all the way back to 1550. They were actually originally constructed to deter the French and Spanish from raiding these islands. The castle is completely free to visit and you can go up to the tower and enjoy sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. The main design of this fortification is that there is a gun deck down below which would have been the main point of defence for the channel leading into the port of New Grimsby. The tower itself would have been used as sleeping quarters and living quarters and then up here there are a further six gun ports. But the design isn't great because it does leave blind spots where the enemy could sneak past. Now to the other castle. Luckily we will be walking through a sea of heather which will be very beautiful. Unfortunately the hill does look very steep so it's a good thing we're wearing walking shoes. Now that we've seen the two castles we're going to head back down towards the south of the island which is the inhabited part where the gardens are and also a lot less wild. Piper's Hole is right behind me. This is a very long deep cave which stretches back 50 meters into the rock face. Inside there's a small pool. However this is also a tidal cave that has been formed over millions of years by the sea and so you can only visit at low tide. Even then do go with someone else, tell someone else where you're going and be really careful. It's really cool to have a look inside because we're not completely at low tide yet. It is still fairly flooded. There's actually a family canoeing in there or kayaking but it's very cool to see nonetheless if you get the chance. If you look closely enough then you can find evidence of human inhabitation spanning across the island. This particular area is home to the remains of lots of tin coring expeditions which follow a vein of course which goes across the island. There are also lots of cairns here and entrance tombs which date back around 3,000 years. Most people state that Tresco is their favourite island and it is amazing to see the diversity between the granite studded heather and the ferns which are farther down in the lowland. The sight of a few palm trees and it already feels like we're on a tropical island. I can't wait to show you the cafe around the corner. There's only a few eateries on the island including a pub, a restaurant and a few cafes but the one with the most gorgeous views has to be this one Rune Beach Cafe. Because we had such a big breakfast for lunch we ended up getting one starter and a large main to share. We also got a beer and it was quite pricey because it came to £39 for just those three things but the food quality was very good and the ambience is amazing because you have views onto the beach as you eat. Old Grimsby can be found on the eastern side of the island and it's home to lots of amazing sandy beaches. You can lie out in the sun here and also admire all of the really quaint architecture. From here we're going to go across to the west side which is New Grimsby which is where we came in and then we'll walk down to the south which is where the Abbey Gardens are. Much like King Charles's Castle the block house on the hill behind me dates back to 1550 and was also built to deter the French and the Spanish would-be invaders. This is the largest church on Tresco, it's dedicated to Saint Nicholas and it's found right in the heart of the island in an area known as Dolphin Town. The New Inn is the main pub on the island and here you can get a drink, some food and it's also in New Grimsby which is one of the landing points for the ferries. All around the little villages of the Isles of Scilly you'll find these little honesty shops and they're basically very small stalls which are unmanned by the side of the road and you leave money in a box if you want to purchase any of the items for sale. There's a house called Sophie. Okay now on to the Abbey. In the 12th century Benedictine monks established an Abbey on this site. It was dedicated to Saint Nicholas who was the patron saint of seafaring though there was probably a prior ecclesiastical building here before that time. In the 6th and 7th centuries so many Celtic men and women came from Ireland and Wales that the Cornish actually refer to this period in history as the coming of the saints. At this time all of these people would come to the little Isles of Scilly and establish hermitages and chapels alone on the hillside. Unfortunately for the monks here this stretch of coastline was really popular among marauding pirates and vikings but the monks took this very seriously. In fact it's said that in 1209 in a single afternoon they beheaded 120 pirates. However it did get tiresome enough over time and so by the 14th century they had abandoned the Abbey. In 1834 Augustus Smith took over the lease of the islands from the Duchy of Cornwall. It was at this time that he decided to create the world leading gardens in the ruins of the old Abbey. The way he acquired the original plants for the garden is actually a really cool story. Basically ships coming from the southern hemisphere would sail via the Scilly Islands to reach the coast of England. It was from these shipmen that he bought exotic plants from all over the world and they actually do really well in this sheltered warm climate because it never goes to below zero and so today you can wander in and take in the Unfortunately it is rather pricey at £18 per adult but it will take a few hours to wander around the gardens and another cool aspect is that basically when he built the gardens Augustus took kind of pieces from different islands including bronze age menhirs and pieces of ecclesiastical buildings that had fallen down all kinds of different things from all over the garden. Oh my gosh there's also a red squirrel running down the steps! It's like just behind Jad's one. Now the garden is home to over 2,500 Mediterranean species from all over the world including from as far away as New Zealand. This is the well garden and it's so cool because it's home to an old well. It's also really close to the ruins of what's left of the Abbey. The one thing I didn't mention earlier actually is that it's right next to the heliport here. A helicopter is another way you can come to the island but I think that's probably really expensive. Unfortunately that does really disrupt the tranquil ambience of the Abbey because every 30 minutes you've got a helicopter landing which I'm sure you can hear in the background of this. In 1840 Augustus Smith began collecting all sorts of figureheads from boats and other pieces of boat wreck which had been wrecked around the Isles of Scilly. His family actually continued adding to this collection after his death in 1872. Today this is known as the Valhalla collection and it can be seen within the Tresco Gardens. This shell house is one of the central features of the garden and it's just amazing. All of the mosaics are made out of shells. Brier is another of the inhabited islands and today we're going to explore it. The name actually derives from the old Cornish bray which means hill and that is because this island is covered in hills. It's home to only 84 residents who are forced to live in a very narrow strip of land between the hills and the island is nestled alongside Tresco. However unlike Tresco this island has the full force of the Atlantic winds constantly coming at it and so it's a lot more windy. There are some really cool honesty boxes on this island and we've already bought a chilli jam and also a succulent. If you go up just one hill while you're on Brier I recommend doing Gweel Hill because this gives you 360 degree views of the surrounding area. This includes Shipman's Down which is the highest point on Brier and is littered with prehistoric cairns and graves. It can also give you a view onto Hell Bay which is so called because when the Atlantic waves crash it this is the first place they've stopped for hundreds of miles and so the waves are huge and it's actually sadly known for its many shipwrecks. Gweel Hill is also one of the only places on land where you can see the island of Gweel which is a tiny uninhabited island full of seabirds. From here you can also see Sampson which was actually inhabited until the 1850s but was abandoned because it was just too treacherous to live there. If it's a really clear and sunny day you can also see as far away as Bishop's Rock which is basically a lighthouse on a tiny little rock eight miles out to sea. From here you can also see St Mary's in the distance, Tresco a little closer and also the rest of Brier. All in all this is one of the best views we've had in the whole of the Scilly Isles. We have views onto beautiful bays, white sand beaches and the green rolling hills full of granite that this area is so known for. There are a few kinds of labyrinths like this on the island but I have no idea how they got here or who built them and it doesn't unfortunately tell us in the book. There are a few eateries on the island but the only pub is Fraggle Rock and this gave amazing views onto Hangman's Island and beyond that the castles of Tresco. Today we're going to be exploring the island of St Mary's. This is the largest and most inhabited of the Scilly Isles and is also where the airport is located and where the Ceylonian docks from the mainland. It is a bit misty this morning as you can probably tell but it is meant to clear up over the course of today. The other good news is that we have rented our golf buggy for the day at a cost of 60 pounds which will ensure that we can visit the island at a more rapid pace. The best hiking trails are sadly inaccessible by golf buggy and so we parked our cart up to explore one of the most popular pathways of the island. Banskhan burial chamber dates all the way back to around 2500 BCE and sits above Halangi Down. The remains of at least 11 round houses from around 600 common era. The Long Rock is a prehistoric manor but unfortunately not much is known beyond that. Much like St Martin's there are a few vineyards on St Mary's. Unfortunately this year you can't visit any and in Anton's opinion they're more for decoration because to be honest we haven't found anywhere where we can buy or taste the wine. Every single cafe and restaurant we've been to we've said can we taste the local wine and they've said we don't sell it so I don't know how you try it. Richard and June Lethbridge planted the Karigdu Garden here close to the Longstone Cafe in 1986. Today it's somewhat of a subtropical paradise because it's very sheltered compared to many other parts of the island and so lots of exotic and foreign plants thrive here. It's completely free to visit and wander around. It's a really peaceful and tranquil spot where you can escape the busy towns. The garden covers a span of 11 and a half acres and there's even an area where narcissi are kept and they are historic varieties of a kind of daffodil from the early years of the flower industry. Now on to our next destination a Neolithic burial mound. So unfortunately because you are taking these on the road you'll need a full UK driving license in order to get one even though it doesn't go very fast. It is a really fun way to see the island. I think you only really need to do one day of this because the island's very smooth and so there's only a few main points that you'll want to see in the golf buggy. For parking it can be a bit complicated if there's a lot of people who want to park at the same time because there's no actual parking you just kind of park on the verge otherwise it's a really fun way to get around. The mist has finally cleared, the sun has appeared and we can see all of the surrounding islands. The spot we're in now is Innistaghan burial chamber. There are thought to be around 80 of these kinds of chambers on the Scilly Isles but the name is a bit misleading because it wasn't just that these were used as burial plots instead they were probably used for ceremonies. Today you can visit a lot of them they're really really well preserved and it's amazing to imagine that people used these three and a half thousand years ago. Pallistry Bay is widely regarded to be one of the most beautiful spots on St Mary's. It's a bit out of the way to get to as you can only get here on foot even if you bring your own bicycle you have to leave it at the top of the track because it's very steep to get down here. This is probably the most popular beach on St Mary's thanks to its golden white sand and its position sheltered from the fiercest winds on the island. Just off the coast here there's Tolles island which you can reach on foot when you get there you can see some civil war battery remains and it's very very pleasant in the summer when all of the heather is in bloom. This is the loaded camel it's a completely natural formation of granite but it does resemble a camel carrying a heavy load. The man at the rental agency was definitely right when he said the weather would clear up. We're back in Old Town which as its name suggests was the administrative capital of the Isles of Scilly way back in the day this was in Norman times however little of that Norman architecture remains today. Now there's a cafe, a pub, a little church and a few holiday lets but the main town is now Hugh Town which is just around the corner. The Starfall is now a luxury hotel but it was originally constructed as a response to the Spanish Armada during the 16th century. By the end of Elizabeth the first reign the whole of this area known as the garrison was completely fortified and these fortifications were added right up until the 20th century. Today you can wander around and see the former fortifications we actually did this a few nights ago as we're staying in the campsite here and so I'll put a few of those clips on screen now. The area also gives amazing views onto Hugh Town's harbour which is the main town on Saint Mary's and we're going to go and look at it now. Hugh Town is the beating heart of the Isles of Scilly it's got many pubs, cafes, shops, eateries and it rose to particular importance during Tudor times but it remains really important today as this is where the Salonian arrives. As well as being home to two pubs and a number of eateries and some really delightful gift shops Hugh Town is home to the only mainstream supermarket in the Isles of Scilly which is a co-op it's also home to a branch of Lloyd's Bank. When it comes to food options on Saint Mary's you're pretty spoiled for choice. Our personal favourite was Dibble and Grub, a restaurant specialising in Each morning we indulged in a vegetarian breakfast at Hugh Street Cafe. The Atlantic Inn has several traditional pub dishes including this vegan version of fish and chips. Longstone Lodge serves up basic sandwiches and small plates in a cosy setting. Saint Agnes is a lot smaller than Saint Mary's it's also the remotest of the Scilly Isles it's only home to around 80 residents and there's not a great deal by way of tourist attractions here there's a pub a cafe and I think there's a fish and chip van. The main thing to do here is simply to wander around and enjoy all of the beautiful scenery it's also one of the only isles in the Scilly Isles which has been declared rat free that means that the seabirds have a real fighting chance to breed and thrive including the Because the island of Goo is so far away from everything and can only be accessed a few times a day they've actually got a delivery box on Saint Agnes so that deliveries can be delivered at any time. Goo is actually its own island and is considered completely separate from Saint Agnes this is because twice a day this tidal island is cut off completely by the sea so it can only be and once you get there it is considered to be the least inhabited of the inhabited Scilly Isles because it's home to fewer than 10 permanent residents the main thing to do there is hike and enjoy the views. Saint Agnes is considered the original off island of the Isles of Scilly and that is because Saint Mary's is generally considered to be the mainland and this island the name Agnes isn't for a saint like the rest of the Isles of Scilly but is instead from Old Cornish meaning away island and the saint is thought to be a later addition most locals just drop the saint and name it Agnes. I think today's weather is a great example of even if you book your trip in the summer period we're here in the middle of August it can still be very rainy a lot of the marketing materials portray this place as an Atlantic paradise but it is still in the UK and so rain is very probable even in the summer. The granite outcrop just behind me is meant to resemble Queen Victoria's head but I can't really see it myself. Up until around 500 years ago the entirety of the other Isles of Scilly were connected completely by sandbars and salt marshes and that just left Saint Agnes and the goo and that means that hardly anyone bothered to come here and live This was until around 1940 when barns were constructed on the goo that means that no one has lived here since pre-history and today the remains of lots of cairns stone houses and standing stones though not that many on the goo can be found around the island. Although the most popular time of the year to come to the Scilly Isles is in the spring when you can see the Narcissi and the daffodils in bloom the summer is also pretty lovely because you'll see all of the heather and gorse in bloom. This is the old man of goo and it's the only standing stone on the island. The meneer was probably erected between 1500 BCE to 500 BCE and unfortunately no one knows who why or even how they did it but it's amazing to think that maybe 3,000 years ago someone was erecting this stone and lived here on the island. You can see that all of the air here is so free from pollution that there are amazing lichens growing on all of the rock faces. There's an amazing variety so do be sure to look closely at the rocks when you're walking around. During the breeding season which lasts from April until around mid-August the central part of the southern part of goo is actually closed to the public because it's home to lots of nesting birds however if you do get to go outside of this season then it's really worth it because there's lots of well-preserved burial tombs from 3,000 years ago. While you're visiting the south do be wary of the gulls. There's literally hundreds swarming above us in the air so luckily we don't have any food on us right now because they would attack us probably more than Brighton Pier but nonetheless it is a wonderful place to visit. Goo actually comes from the old Cornish meaning high point and that's thanks to the presence of lots of rocky granite outcrops on the island. Because St Agnes is so small it's divided into higher, middle and lower town and that is a single settlement on the island. There is a cafe, a pizzeria and a delightful little gift shop which we just explored selling all kinds of sea themed gifts which are centered around Goo and St Agnes. This is so delightful there is a tiny little post office here although post collection is only from Monday to Friday and none on the weekend. One of the coolest shops you can visit on the island for a very unique souvenir is this soap and distillery. Basically you can go in purchase lots of different soaps, conditioners and also gins and amaretto which have been made using essential oils produced by the flowers here on the island. The family actually started out as flower farmers several generations ago but unfortunately when the flower trade went down they actually discovered that the essential oils from their flowers are very pure and amazing quality because the air is so clear and pure here and so that has enabled them to make this really award-winning business which even the king and prince have visited. The lighthouse is one of the defining features of St Agnes. It's very picturesque and feels like it's been plucked straight out of a storybook. Antoine also said it looks way better after the gin tasting. This is one of the more unusual rock formations on the island and it's known as Nag's Head. It's covered in lichen and it's just very unique in shape as you can see. This is the Troy Town Maze and it's a tiny little labyrinth made out of local stones. There are a few holiday lets on St Agnes but to be honest they're very few and far between and so if you're feeling particularly adventurous then you can actually come camping on the south of the island. The church of St Agnes and its accompanying churchyard are really peaceful and tranquil and they give amazing views onto the sea beyond but what makes this little church so special is that the interior doesn't have the traditional kind of stained glass that you would expect. Instead it's got really really modern renditions showcasing the lighthouse of the island and also dedicated to the fishermen who give their lives to get food for the islanders. St Agnes is actually quite famous for its sandy beaches however unlike Tresco where they're very very long here you'll find a series of smaller beaches. On a clear sunny warm day is the perfect place to sunbathe or go paddling in the sea. Unfortunately that day is not today. This is the big pond and here you can see lots of gulls bathing in the water. There's only one pub on the island and it's right by the harbour. We've got an hour until our boat leaves to take us back to St Mary's so let's finish our time on St Agnes by having a drink. Today we're on the island of St Martin's. It's around a 20 minute boat ride away from St Mary's. Unfortunately as you can probably tell the weather isn't great however usually this is one of the greenest of the islands along with Tresco and on a very clear day you can see as far away as lands end. This is one of the richest islands in diversity as there's a really lush green part of the island as well as a wilder kind of more remote area which is where we are now. There are three settlements on the island. The higher town, the middle town and the lower town. Typically you'll be dropped off by the ferry at higher town. This is the most inhabited of the towns on the island and it's here where you'll find an award-winning bakery. This bakery is said to be the best in the Sealy Isles and as such is really busy so as soon as you get off ferry you want to pick up some supplies. This includes pasties, sandwiches, cookies and cakes and everything is made in-house including the pasties. There's probably been a place of worship or a shrine at St Martin's Head since at least Roman times but what we do know is that a medieval chapel was built on site. This is really common across the Sealy Isles and Cornwall where men and women would come and set up little chapels and hermitages at the top of the highest points of different islands in the area. Unfortunately there's little left of the medieval chapel today because a lot of the stone was pillaged to build the damark in 1683. Further stone was taken from the chapel when the Napoleonic fort was built on the island. Damarks like this are typically built in addition to lighthouses to help ships with navigation. The red and white is supposed to help but on a day like today where you can't see farther than maybe 50 meters obviously it doesn't help. In addition to this this is the highest point on the island as there is a trig point next to it and that shows the highest place of the land. As you can see very little of the chapel remains however it is a great spot to shelter from the fierce winds up here and it's also a great opportunity to spy all of the beautiful lichen that grows because the air is so clean here. We're now headed down from St Martin's Head to Higher Town and already it feels warmer there's definitely more dense lush vegetation as opposed to the open moorland which was just surrounded by heather and not much else. This is Parr Beach and it's probably the most popular beach on St Martin's thanks to its white sand which is really really fine. It's also got crystal clear water and at low tide you can even see a prehistoric stone row which is exposed. Unfortunately it is not the right conditions for swimming today but when it is everyone comes out here, lies on the beach, paddles in the sea and has a good sunny time. Usually one of the best things to do on St Martin's is to visit the vineyard. You can do a wine tasting and also go on a self-guided wine tour. Each week, usually on Fridays, there's a free guided visit too. Now there are 11 grape varieties that grow here and the vineyard dates all the way back to 1996. Previously it was a flower farm. Today they produce red, white and rose wine. Unfortunately it doesn't have opening times online so we thought it would be open on a Saturday but it turns out it's closed. However we did manage to buy some apple juice from the honesty box. This area is home to a mass burial site of men who were wrecked just off the coastline. In 17th and 18th century England the worst thing you could be was Catholic, Republican or French. Unfortunately for these men they were all three and so they were left here in an unmarked grave in a cliffside burial as they weren't allowed to be Even though most people come here as a holiday destination it is important to remember that people actually live and work here. A lot of people here work in tourism and in agriculture and so there is a town hall, there's a school and even a fire station on the island. It was actually meant to be partly sunny today and so our original plan was to go to White Island which is a tidal island that you can only reach during low tide from this one and go and see some Neolithic graves. Unfortunately that's completely out of the question because it's very very slippery there and we won't see anything anyway and so instead we're going to head into the middle and lower town where there are galleries, shops and even a pub. As with the other islands this island too has a lot of honesty boxes scattered around town and basically what you do is you come up to the box, you decide which produce you want to buy and then there will be a little container where you put your money. You have to bring cash for this and then you're free to take your produce and enjoy it. The Seven Stones Inn is the only pub on the island and it's raining quite a lot now so let's go in and have a drink. If you want to visit all of the silly isles in your trip then you'll need at least a full week because each of them take a day to explore. You would also want to stay on St Mary's because even though this is the biggest and many people's least favourite of the islands, it's also the easiest to get to from all the other islands. Basically when you're on St Mary's you can buy boat tickets which cost £13.50 per adult per return trip from the tourist office or the boat office. Once you get on the boat you give them your ticket and then you're away to explore. There are lots of accommodation options but we personally went camping as this was the most affordable option and also the only option left when we booked a few months in advance Thank you so much for watching and don't forget to like and subscribe for more UK travel content See you next time!