Isles of Scilly

Monday 6th April

Make your way to Penzance and meet at the Queens Hotel, ideally located near the pier that we’ll use to board the RMV Scillonian III for our sailing to the Isles of Scilly tomorrow.

Check-in at the Queens Hotel is available at 3pm so depending on how far your journey to Penzance is, you can enjoy some free time before we meet as a group.

Penzance is a market town and port located at the western tip of Cornwall near Land’s End.  A popular way to travel to Penzance is by sleeper train from London Paddington on the Night Riviera service operated by Great Western Railway. The Queens Hotel is located less than a mile from the Train Station so is a convenient walk or taxi journey away from here.

There are also regular direct train departures from London Paddington, Reading, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, York, Leeds, Wakefield, Sheffield, Derby, Birmingham, Plymouth, Bristol, Cardiff and more. If you wish to travel with a dash of traditional British luxury then it’s worth looking into one of the UK’s only remaining Pullman Dining experiences. This is offered once a day by Great Western Railway in the early evening from London Paddington to Penzance.

You can also travel direct to Penzance by coach from London Victoria Station via Reading and Plymouth. There are various other regional coach services to Penzance available throughout the UK.

This evening we’ll meet for our welcome briefing and get to know each other before our ferry journey tomorrow morning.

Overnight in Penzance.

Tuesday 7th April

This morning we’ll board the RMV Scillonian III for a morning crossing from Penzance to Hugh Town on St Mary’s Island. The ship is the only active ship carrying the prefix RMV in the world, standing for Royal Mail Vessel.

We’ll enjoy breakfast at the hotel before walking to the pier where we’ll drop our bags off before boarding the ship for a 10am departure. We’ll sail past the dramatic Cornish coastline before heading out to sea where we’ll arrive into Hugh Town’s port on St Mary’s Island at 12.45pm. Our bags will be sent to the hotel so we’ll leisurely walk through Hugh Town to the Bell Rock Hotel for check-in.

The rest of the afternoon is at leisure so you can take your time exploring the numerous coffee shops, pubs and boutiques as well as other points of interest such as the Garrison this afternoon. This evening, we’ll meet for dinner in our hotel.

Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight in Hugh Town.

Wednesday 8th April

Journey to St Agnes by local boat for our first walk. The most south-westerly community in the UK live here in charming stone cottages next to an iconic lighthouse. We’ll walk around an old lifeboat station and follow coastal paths to a sandbar connecting St Agnes to the island of Gugh that you can cross at low tide. Gugh is an archaeological wonderland containing Bronze Age burial sites.

Following our visit, we’ll take a boat back to our base on St Mary’s Island.

Walking distance: 8km.

Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight in Hugh Town.

Thursday 9th April

Stay on St Mary’s Island for a walk around the historic Garrison, Penninis and Old Town before uncovering ancient burial sites, and, the more modern grave for Harold Wilson, who famously loved the islands so much he holidayed here every summer with his family.

As we explore the scenery and historical sites of St Mary’s Island we’ll learn about the history of the inhabitants over the ages and the development of the Garrison over the centuries. We’ll also take every opportunity to discover the island’s unique flora and fauna as well as browse road-side craft and produce stalls.

Walking distance: 13km.

Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight in Hugh Town.

Friday 10th April (Good Friday)

Take a boat to the peaceful island of Bryher where only 80 people live. We’ll walk around the windswept and wild countryside to secluded bays, uncovering prehistoric cairns and boulder walls as we go.

We’ll then return to Hugh Town where you can enjoy any additional activities the islands have to offer.

Walking distance: 8km.

Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight in Hugh Town.

Saturday 11th April

Today we’ll sail to Tresco where we’ll visit the world-renowned sub-tropical Tresco Abbey Garden and Valhalla Museum. The Museum contains figureheads salvaged from shipwrecks around the islands’ shore, casting an illuminating light on the maritime history of ships from around the world that came perilously close to the Isles of Scilly. The gardens sprawl through the ruins of a medieval abbey and also contain the remains of an Ancient Roman altar that was found on the islands. Home to over 20,000 plants from more than 80 countries, this flourishing attraction comes to life in Spring with blooming flowers from all 4 corners of the world.

Walking distance: 9km.

Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight in Hugh Town.

Sunday 12th April (Easter Sunday)

Our final island visit is to St Martin’s Island where we’ll walk across long stretches of pure white sand leading to secluded bays and rugged heathland. The island’s small population of 120 people keep busy growing flowers and vines as well as crafting jewellery, trinkets and local artworks. They’re joined by a small community of seals who live just off the coast amid some of Britain’s finest beaches.

Walking distance: 10.5km.

Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight in Hugh Town.

Monday 13th April (Easter Monday)

Today can be enjoyed at leisure enjoying and exploring St Mary’s Island. You may wish to set out for a walk on the beaches, find a nice cafe to relax in or head to one of the island’s fresh fish restaurants for a final long lazy lunch.

We’ll then rendezvous and head to the pier for our ferry journey back to Penzance. The ferry leaves Hugh Town at 4.30pm, arriving into Penzance at 7.15pm. As this is Easter Monday and we’ll be arriving into Penzance quite late we’ll check back into the Queens Hotel for our final night in Penzance.

Breakfast included. Overnight in Penzance.

Tuesday 14th April

Our sub-tropical walking holiday to the Isles of Scilly comes to an end today so after a leisurely breakfast we’ll depart for our journey home. You must check out of the hotel by 11am, and, as most travellers will have a long journey home most people will probably book their onward travel for the late morning or early afternoon.

Breakfast included.

Please note that the order of islands visited on the itinerary may change and is subject to the local boating schedule.

The RMV Scillonian III sailing times are:

Tuesday 7th April: Penzance to St Mary’s depart at 10am, arriving at 12.45pm.

Monday 13th April: St Mary’s to Penzance depart at 4.30pm, arriving at 7.15pm.

Please note a good level of fitness is required for this trip as it is geared towards people who are capable of enjoying walking for up to 13km/6 hours every day. You are required to have an intermediate to advanced level of experience doing such distances. The walks will be in the undulating countryside; some walks will involve shorter but steeper technical sections; others will include more gentle, but longer ascents and descents. There are the occasional steep sections, at times a series of steps, as well as sections with loose rocks underfoot, but there will be no scrambling or climbing.

There may be opportunities to opt out during the walks, however, these are limited, so it is crucial that you are well prepared for the walking involved. In the interests of your safety and the rest of the group’s enjoyment if, at any time, the tour manager or walking guide feels that you are not suited to a walk or are not able to complete a walk for any reason, they may, at their discretion, request you to stay behind.