A Scilly day out with some pictures

The Scilly Isles are a group of islands about 28 miles south west of Lands End. Only five of the islands are occupied and the resident population is about 2000. The Scillies have their own island council quite independent of Cornwall, which makes them the smallest unitary authority in the UK. They have been inhabited since the Stone Age with several burial sites around the islands. The largest island, St Marys, is where most of the tourists arrive, either by boat or helicopter from Penzance. I chose to fly on a small plane from Lands End airport, which was clearly visible from my campsite.

The climate on the Scillies is quite mild, which is very good for the flower business and the famous tourist attraction, Tresco Abbey Gardens. There were some interesting dark pines on one of islands set against the white sandy beach that made you think of the tropics. The weather for my visit was mild, with sunny intervals and the odd shower. I wouldn't like to be there in an Atlantic storm. What attracts tourists I suppose is the peace and quiet, although I thought there was quite a lot of traffic and the noise of planes taking off could be heard all of the island. There were lots of art and crafts places on St Marys (the only island I visited), boat trips to the other smaller islands, so of which are virtually traffic free. Of interest to me were the tea shops and the remains of the old Garrison.

I couldn't resist the pull of such a remote top and the adventure of travelling in a very small plane. Telegraph Hill (167ft /51m) is the highest point of all the islands and luckily for me it was about a mile from St Mary's airport. I'd venture to say that most of St Mary's was about a mile from the airport. It wasn't hard to find, the clue was in the name. Like all self respecting tops it was adorned by a couple of aerial mast, and for good measure, an odd round tower and a telephone box. After bagging the top, I spent the rest of the day wandering along the coastal footpath and taking regular refreshment.

Click on the slide show for more pictures.