A Week In The Isles of Scilly
Having had two trips cancelled due to Covid-19, we had almost written off getting away on holiday this year. Usually, we have several trips planned at any one time, sometimes more than a year in advance. We usually prioritise foreign travel but we were both adamant that was not sensible for the foreseeable future. When we spent a few minutes looking at a map of the UK we came up with a long list of places we wanted to visit. Topping that list was a place that is often omitted from a hastily sketched map of the UK: The Isles of Scilly. If you picture the outline of England as a person sitting on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, the Scillies are where their toes touch the water.
The Scillies are an archipelago, a series of islands, most of which are uninhabited, 28 miles off the coast or Cornwall. They are the true ‘Land’s End’.
Before we went, we suspected we would end up writing just one succinct blog, summarising our Scilly adventure. We thought it would be a nice, sedate, relaxing break with not that much to ‘write home about’. Our Scilly jaunt would be a chance to unwind with a few books perhaps. After all, what could there be to hold our attention and stimulate our senses on a series of islands with a land mass of just over 6 square miles and a population of 2,200?
As it turned out, we were utterly unprepared for the amount of fun we had in the Scilly Isles. If anything, we were overstimulated. We walked over 60 miles in the week we were there and could have done with another week just to sit down and take it all in. Most people don’t look forward to unpacking after a holiday. Who wants to sort out dirty washing into piles? But writing these blogs has provided us with the chance to unpack our Scilly Isles experiences. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoyed writing them.
We’ve split the blog into these sections. We have written them so they can be enjoyed individually or read in one sitting:
The Isles of Scilly: Not being silly about Covid-19 so we can have a seriously good time
An unusually “rough” crossing: Getting to the Isles of Scilly
Rooms with a View: The Atlantic Inn, Isles of Scilly (St Mary’s)
Eating and Drinking on the Isles of Scilly
There are also special focuses on some of the most special aspects of our trip, including:
The Mermaid Resurfaces: a return, two years on, to the restaurant in nearby Penzance, where we had one of our favourite meals ever. The original piece was one of our most read blogs ever and the restaurant owners invited us for an exclusive meal with items from their new menu, ahead of re-opening to the public.
Cocktail Hour: Scilly Spirit Gin: An appreciation of the Scilly Spirit which you can get delivered to your hotel by the people who make it.
Please note that we did not receive any freebies on this trip. We paid for all of our accommodation, transport, food and drinks and all opinions are 100% our own.
