Winter on Scilly? You bet!
Okay, so a winter break on Scilly probably isn’t for everyone, but for those who hanker after a true encounter with island life, or who need an escape to recharge or find their inner self, the short months are definitely a fantastic time to come and experience splendid isolation, Scilly-style. Here are our top 10 reasons to visit Scilly in winter.
Visit a flower farm
Scilly is blessed with a year-round economy….tourism in the summer and flower farming in the winter. The islands have carved a niche for growing very beautiful and dainty scented narcissi (not to be mistaken for daffodils) in tiny fields protected by hardy pittosporum hedges. Walk across St. Mary’s or St. Martins, (there are a few fields on Tresco and St. Agnes too) any day in winter and in all weathers you’ll see farming hands in their yellows picking the stems in the field. You’re welcome to visit the fields and the packing sheds – you might even get roped into lending a hand!
Romance on the rock
Scilly is a wonderfully romantic place - and in the depths of an isolated winter, perhaps even more so. Treat your loved one to a dreamy weekend away. Stay at the gorgeous Star Castle hotel, or a romantic bolthole for two; enjoy the rich history of your beautiful island surroundings; indulge in a day spa on Tresco; and book your places at a fabulous privately-catered dinner laid on by the amazing Tanglewood Table.
Blowy walks
You can’t beat a winter walk anywhere – all wrapped up against the elements, but with Scilly being coastal and low-lying, and with not a jot of protection from the ocean expanse, those elements are a little more extreme! A storm on Scilly is a lashing; the grey light bouncing off the sea more intense. The winter sun hints at a more velvety hue, and the vegetation is that little more verdant. Nothing quite beats it!
Storm watching
For the same reason that blowy walks are best experienced on Scilly, so too are fantastic Atlantic storms. Get up high - Hell Bay on Bryher, the Garrison or Peninnis Head on St. Mary’s, or Wingletang on St. Agnes - to watch the angry skies and massive waves roll in and smash against the rocks. It’s awesome! If the storms coincide with high tides, then the quays can be topped by waves – spectacular to watch, but very much only from a safe distance.
Incredible dark skies
On a quiet clear night on Scilly you’re in for a wonderful treat. Scilly is a dark place (indeed the darkest place in the UK) where light pollution almost non-existent, save for a few street lamps in Hugh Town. If you’re on St. Martin’s you can head for the new observatory (or the nearby Sevenstones Inn) to meet up with budding amateur astronomers and appreciate the wondrous sky. But anywhere on Scilly, you can be treated to a sparkling display of stars, planets and the Milky Way.
Artists at work
Just because the nights are drawing in doesn’t mean to say that the artists and creative folks kick back. On the contrary, they use the winter months to get out and enjoy the winter light, to come up with new designs and ideas, and to offer workshops to the islanders. The galleries and studios are (mostly) open year round, so make sure you get to visit and sign up to a workshop or two!
Thursday folk nights
There’s a wonderful tradition on Scilly that occurs every Thursday evening throughout the winter months, once visitor numbers have subsided. Musicians of all ages and abilities gather at one of the pubs for an improvised folk night. Everyone is invited, all (portable) instruments welcome. And a new face on the music scene is a welcome one indeed!
Wild winter retreat
Join the growing band of year-round wild sea swimmers and winter yoga enthusiasts on Scilly. A spot of meditation, a beach clean with the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, a coastal run and bracing swim in the sea, followed by cosy yoga and hot chocolate? Bespoke packages are available from Adventure Scilly on St. Mary’s and also from Tresco Island office.
Cosy pub nights
It’s true to say that’s there’s not much doing of an evening on a winter’s night in Scilly. Many of the restaurants are closed for the season and there’s no cinema to speak of. But the pubs, with their roaring log fires, remain a lively source of entertainment in the evenings with regular pub quizzes, board game nights and a pool league. And once again, everyone is welcome.
Make new friends
You can of course come to Scilly in winter and not see another soul – it really is a true escape if that’s what you’d like it to be. But if you’re the sort of person who wants to embrace the islands and ensconce yourself in Scilly life, then you’ll find it an amazingly friendly place. Get involved with the local way of life and you’ll be richly rewarded – with new friends made in no time.
Top tip: The passenger ferry takes a winter break from early November to mid-March and flights from Exeter are also seasonal. The only way to get to Scilly during the winter months is from Newquay and Land’s End airports. Occasionally, high winds or low cloud can hamper flights so why not spend a night or two in Cornwall at either end of your stay and make a longer holiday of it?
© Islands' Partnership
