Scilly Isles

A long walk off a short pier.

The Scilly Isles are the southernmost tip of the British Isles, off the end of Cornwall, and are considered to be a part of England (did you hear that, Land's End?). They have thriving communities, which are partially self sufficient, with their own shopping centres, hotels, and farms. The largest island is St. Mary's, but it is just 3 miles (5 kilometres) long in its longest direction.

The ferry service is expensive, but offers a nicely timed day-trip to the islands, with enough time to look around, and enjoy a much quieter piece of Cornwall. In fact, I recommend using the Scilly Isles if you want somewhere to visit - there are plenty of places to stay there.

The bus service on the island does not follow a strict timetable or route, and stops wherever someone flags it down, but it is timed well enough that you can use it to get somewhere and back in time for the departing ferry. And if all else fails, it's only 3 miles maximum to the town, just walk. In Cornwall, they torture tourists with insane double roundabouts, which are just asking for trouble. Add to that the fact that Cornish people cannot drive; twice during our visit we were very nearly hit on roundabouts when other drivers ignored our indicators and pulled onto the roundabouts into the side of our car. Go to Scilly instead; the islands are so small, you can walk in peace everywhere, and use boats for everything else. There is no need for cars.

The name is pronounced "silly", with obvious jokes about living on silly islands. In order to combat this, they are often referred to as the Isles of Scilly - but that doesn't stop anyone making fun.

• Penzance harbour and the Scillonian III which will take us on the 2 and a half hour journey to the Scilly Isles.
• The pirates of Penzance.
• Some humour, courtesy of Penzance.
• Penzance quay. And a very nice almost monochromatic photo, if I may say so.
• Here be celts.
• The coast guard are the police of the sea, but they look a little rusty to me.
• Lamorna I think - either that or somewhere around Mousehole. Yeah, they have weird names here.
• Living on the edge. Imagine that being your back garden.
• Duplicity Lands End and Gwennap Head.
• Flying the Union Jack.
• The swell is pretty big here, makes the journey more fun. For me.
• Not everyone agrees though. Several children decided to be sick.
• As RSPB members, we got the ferry at half price (a saving of £18 each), as well as an RSPB guide to help with locating and identifying birds on the way. Most of the time, it was nothing more exciting than gannets who put on their diving displays, or the odd sheerwater. However, I am happy to have seen my first ever cetaceans (not birds) - a pair of harbour porpoises, who quickly got out of the way of the ferry and disappeared - no pictures, sorry.
• Eastern Isles, the first part of the Scilly isles.
• With some boats for scale.
• A rocky Eastern Isle.
• St. Martin's.
• The priory (I think) on Tresco.
• Porthloo (portaloo?) on St. Mary's, with a human for scale.
• The Garrison on St. Mary's.
• The garrison wall.
• Peninnis Head - that has got to be a typo!
• The ferry also takes supplies and goods to and from the islands, including motor boats that are apparently not capable of making the trip themselves.
• The harbour at Hugh Town on St. Mary's.
• Town Beach.
• One of the lifeboat servicing the Scilly Isles.
• A red sail.
• Hugh Town square.
• St. Mary's also has an airport, with flights to and from the mainland.
• The scilly Isles are a complete archipelago, with many groups of smaller islands, such as these by St Helen's (at 44 metres, this is about the highest point in all of the islands).
• Sawtooth islands near Annet.
• Multiple islands near Annet.
• Islands by Samson.
• One last picture of spiky islands, disappearing into the distance.
• St. Mary's is the only island big enough to have an 'A' class road on it. In fact it has two. However, they are certainly not up to the standard of A roads elsewhere. They have tarmac, but are single lane with occasional passing places - like a normal minor B road. A few other places have short roads with tarmac, but most are shown on the island map as a dashed line, and look like this. Best to walk.
• A little way around the coast of St. Mary's was Bant's Carn.
• This is the remains of a 2200 year old village, built on top of a 4000 year old village. It was used by farmers until they desertified the area (before they were separate islands).
• A room.
• A hallway.
• A standing stone.
• Another room, with what looks like a fireplace.
• At the top of the village is a well preserved 4000 year old burrial chamber.
• Looking out of the chamber.
• Looking into the chamber, with a human for scale.
• Looking across Crow Bar (who makes these scilly names up?).
• MacFarland Down. This is actually one of the highest points on the islands, at a little over 40 metres. Wow.
• Crow Sound.
• Innisidgen lower burrial chamber, not quite so well preserved.
• Innisidgen upper burrial chamber - much better.
• Bar Point.
• Stunning colours at Bar Point beach.
• Bar Point dunes.
• Innisidgen.
• Innisidgen rocks.
• Innisidgen peak, looking across Crow Sound.

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