Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1,500 people, while the other inhabited islands are Tresco, St. Agnes, St. Martin's,
and Bryher. The Isles of Scilly figured prominently in the myths and legends of
ancient Greece and Rome; in Celtic legend, they were inhabited by holy men.
The islands are studded with burial chambers, standing stones, and smugglers'
hide-outs. Because visitors can't drive here, the islands are beautifully quiet and great
locations for
walking
and
cycling,
as well as for
bird-watching.
Essentials
GETTING THERE
Isles of Scilly Skybus Ltd.
(
&
0845/7105555;
www.
ios-travel.co.uk) operates 2 to 10 flights per day, depending on the season, between
Land's End Airport and Hugh Town on St. Mary's Island. Flight time is 15 minutes.
Weather permitting,
British International Helicopters,
Penzance Heliport
Eastern Green (
&
01736/363871
for recorded information; www.islesofscilly
helicopter.com), operates up to 26 helicopter flights Monday to Saturday between
Penzance, St. Mary's, and Tresco. Flight time is 20 minutes.
Slower going is a ship that leaves from the
Isles of Scilly Travel Centre,
on
Quay Street in Penzance (
&
0845/710-5555;
www.ios-travel.co.uk). It departs up
to 6 days a week between April and October, with a journey time of about 2
3
⁄
4
hours.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Tourist Information Centre,
Hugh Street, St.
Mary's (
&
01720/424031;
www.simplyscilly.co.uk), is open summer (usually Apr-
Oct) Monday to Saturday 8:30am to 5:30pm, Sunday 9am to 2pm; winter (usually
Nov-Mar), Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to noon.
Exploring the Area
Each island has its own character, and you can travel between them by boat.
St. Mary's
boasts Scilly's only town,
Hugh Town.
It was constructed on a sandbar
that lies between the principal part of St. Mary's and a hill in the west, called the
Garrison.
From Hugh Town, you can see the island's highest point,
Telegraph Tower,
rising
48m (158 ft.). This is a memorable walk, and you can also pass on the way a stone
burial chamber,
Bants Carn,
dating from the 3rd century b.c.
Other attractions include the
Isles of Scilly Museum,
on Church Street
(
&
01720/422337;
www.iosmuseum.org; Easter-Sept Mon-Sat 10am-4:30pm,
Sat 10am-noon; winter hours vary), which illustrates the history of the islands from
2500 b.c., with assorted relics discovered here; and
Longstone Heritage Centre,
10
OUTDOOR
activities
IN SCILLY
The Isles of Scilly offer plenty of oppor-
tunities for walking, and if you are on
St. Mary's you can rent bikes from
St. Mary's Bicycle Hire,
The Strand
(
&
07796/638506
). A variety of boat
trips, including bird-watching specials,
are available from the
St. Mary's
Boatmen Association,
The Strand
(
&
01720/423999;
www.scillyboating.
co.uk).
There is a
Diving School
on St. Mar-
tin's, which offers BSAC diving courses,
dive charters, and even snorkeling safa-
ris (
&
01720/422848;
www.scillydiving.
com).
