Lady’s Isles of Scilly Travel Guide

Today I want to share my Isles of Scilly travel guide with you. These islands off the southwest coast of England are magical, and I hope you get a chance to visit them someday.

Isles of Scilly Travel

I can’t take my eyes off the view. I’m flying over the sea in a tiny plane, and the islands look like the backs of giant whales. I’m less than 30 miles off the coast of Cornwall, but I feel like I’m a million miles away from England.

As the plane descends, the Isles of Scilly come into view, and coastal beaches and colorful boats welcome me to this remote archipelago.

The Isles of Scilly have been on my travel bucket list for a long time. They’re some of the best and most romantic places to visit in the UK.

Ever since I heard about the beautiful scenery, crystal clear water, and famous gardens, I’ve wanted to come and experience this part of England. And now I finally have the chance to come as a guest of the tourism board.

How to Get to the Isles of Scilly from London

There are various ways to get to the Isles of Scilly from London, and none of them are incredibly straightforward. I’ve opted for a combination of train, bus, and plane, which works fairly seamlessly.

I take a train from London to Exeter, then a bus from Exeter train station to Exeter Airport. From the airport I hop on a flight from Exeter to the Isles of Scilly.

My plane lands on St. Mary’s, the largest of the five inhabited islands in the Scilly Isles. The journey itself has been an adventure, but the real excitement begins when I touch down.

St. Mary’s, Isles of Scilly

Despite being the largest of the Isles of Scilly and home to most of their 2,200 inhabitants, St. Mary’s is less than 2.5 square miles and easy to navigate on foot.

I walk along the coastal trails, discovering beaches and coves lined with bright wild flowers. It’s only my first day and I’m already loving my Isles of Scilly travel experience.

Inland, I find farms, and out west I explore Hugh Town, the island’s main town and the point of arrival for ferries from Cornwall. As I go, I start to feel like this is one of the best places to visit in the UK in summer.

Up the hill from Hugh Town is an old garrison and historic fort called the Star Castle, and in the distance I can see some of the archipelago’s other major and minor islands.

As I scan the horizon, a group rides by on horseback and another drifts past on kayaks. It’s amazing how many things there are to do on the Isles of Scilly.

My home on St. Mary’s is the St. Mary’s Hall Hotel, a townhouse with classic decor and a sense of history. My room is big and bright, and for dinner I enjoy an abundance of fresh local seafood and lobster.

Tresco, Isles of Scilly

The following day I’m off to Tresco, which is only a short boat ride away from St. Mary’s, but has a very different feel. It offers a great contrast to the Isles of Scilly travel experience I’ve had so far.

Tresco is sparsely populated and has no cars apart from a couple of tractors and a few little shuttles to carry visitors around. The pace of life here is refreshingly relaxed.

I spend most of my time on Tresco walking along the coastal paths with beaches on one side and lush cow pastures on the other. Pretty holiday homes line the shore, and stone cottages dot the inland roads.

I have dinner one night at the Ruin Beach Cafe, a seaside restaurant on Tresco with lovely decor and great local seafood. Everything from the Cornish scallops to the spicy crab linguine is excellent.

But the main attraction on Tresco isn’t the food (although it certainly could be). It’s the Tresco Abbey Garden, a sub-tropical collection of plants and flowers from 80 countries, all centered around the ruins of a Benedictine abbey.

The garden curator takes me for a tour of the Tresco Abbey Garden and tells me all about the history and the species of plants on the grounds.

Started in the 19th century, the garden features everything from Monterey Pine trees from my home state of California, to Canary Island Palms and flowers from South Africa and New Zealand.

The plants grow in colorful beds lining a steep hill, and are interspersed with fountains, sculptures, and various figureheads from shipwrecks around the Isles of Scilly.

And speaking of ships, my hotel, The New Inn, is home to a popular pub with an interior that feels like the inside of a boat. Dark wood prevails, and in the evenings the place fills with a lively crowd.

Bryher, Isles of Scilly

As does the Fraggle Rock Bar, a little restaurant on the island of Bryher. A one-minute boat ride from Tresco, Bryher is even more untouched than the other islands in the Isles of Scilly.

A walk along the coast leads me to a lonely red phone booth and a golden goat, both of which make me wonder what kind of magical place I’m in.

Next to them is the Fraggle Rock Bar, where I head upstairs to a cozy dining room overlooking a terrace.

My dinner is a warming sweet potato and red onion soup followed by classic fish and chips. It’s the perfect meal for a fresh evening by the sea.

Isles of Scilly Travel Guide

When my Isles of Scilly travel experience comes to an end, I board the boat to St. Mary’s and journey back to the mainland on the tiny plane to Exeter.

Once again I’m awed by the views of the islands from the windows, and until they disappear, I keep looking back to remind myself they’re real.

And they are. I’ve loved visiting them, and I hope you get a chance to discover these enchanting islands off the coast of Cornwall yourself someday.

I flew to the Scilly Isles with Isles of Scilly Travel.

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