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The paradise islands an hour from Exeter owned by Prince William
Hop on a quick flight from Exeter Airport and without even leaving the UK you arrive in total paradise. Outstandingly beautiful, uncrowded and unspoiled is how the official Isles of Scilly tourism website describes it. And they’re not wrong.
After all, it’s the holiday destination of choice for Prince William and his family. Let’s not forget that he does own the islands as they are part of the Duchy of Cornwall. Although, arguably the most beautiful – Tresco – is technically owned and run by Tresco Estates on a very long lease. But the fact remains that these five inhabited islands are just an hour away on a Skybus flight and offer a holiday destination that will rival anything you’ll find further afield.
The Isles of Scilly lie just off the coast of Cornwall but are a world apart in every way. A natural wonder, like a cluster of precious ocean jewels, where nature thrives and the soul is inspired. Everything looks and feels quite different on Scilly – simpler, kinder, more innocent. Life moves at an easier pace.
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So with the space and freedom to do everything, or nothing – its enchanting archipelago guarantees a magical, unforgettable experience.
The total population of the islands is 2,203. After the Spanish Armada’s attempted invasion was repelled in 1588, Queen Elizabeth was persuaded to build a fortified garrison on Scilly’s main island, St Mary’s, in case the Spanish saw it as a launch pad for a second attempt.
The fortified castle, in the shape of an eight-pointed star, still stands guard over the harbour of Hugh Town, St Mary’s, though today it is a cosy and atmospheric hotel and Scilly’s only invaders are tourists and the October birdwatchers.
The Star Castle, with its thick granite walls, ancient beamed ceilings and dungeon bar, is an ideal base to explore one of Britain’s hidden gems.
With around only 5,000 tourist beds, the islands never seem crowded, have little traffic and miles of pristine beaches.
St Mary’s is the largest and home to around 1,600 of the total 2,100 permanent residents. But it’s still only three miles long and a mile across. In the harbour there are boats to ferry you to the other islands.
Tresco is famous for its botanical gardens established by Augustus Smith in the 19th century, and his descendant Robert Dorrien Smith now presides over the island.
The gardens are proof that Scilly enjoys an enviable micro-climate, boasting Monterey pines from California and proteas from South Africa.
The gardens also host figureheads from local shipwrecks, as well as an 18-pounder cannon from the warship Association, whose loss in 1707 with three other ships and hundreds of lives after a navigation error led to the race to discover a way of measuring longitude.
Daily Mirror journalist Peter Fenton visited the islands with his wife. He said: “Fortified by a baguette of local crabmeat and a pint of fine Scilly-brewed bitter at the excellent New Inn, my wife Fran and I set off to explore the rest of Tresco, stopping to climb Cromwell’s Castle, a ruined shore battery that once guarded the channel between Tresco and its near-neighbour Bryher, one of the other inhabited islands.
“Back on St Mary’s, the Star Castle’s superb wine selection and regular tasting evenings are a clue to hotelier Robert Francis’s passion for the grape and he has planted 7,000 vines on land at Holy Vale, St Mary’s, with a view to producing the first Scilly wine.
“After a visit to his vineyard, which he plans to open as a tourist attraction, we took a boat to St Agnes – much less developed than Tresco. With a few working farms and a lot of rugged coast, St Agnes boasts spectacular ocean views, especially when the sea is crashing in and the bracing wind blowing.
“You really need to work up an appetite as the food at the Star Castle is exceptional. Robert uses his own fishing boat to catch lobster and crab.
“Cornish boats bring in fresh brill, monkfish, hake and plaice; the beef is locally sourced and is melt-in-the-mouth delicious. The menu is imaginative without being over-fussy and the food superbly cooked.
“You cannot get further away from the hustle and bustle of modern life than the Isles of Scilly. The 1960s pipe-smoking Prime Minister Harold Wilson used them as his secret getaway and loved them so much he chose the churchyard overlooking Old Town Bay on St Mary’s as his final resting place.
“More recently, celebs such as Jude Law have enjoyed the islands’ privacy. The easy pace of life and crime-and traffic-free environment bring people back year after year. No nightclubs or theme parks, just the freshest air and the gentle roar of a sea that is visible from almost everywhere.”
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