Island hop and discover the extraordinary history of Scilly  

The Isles of Scilly’s most significant cultural attraction, the Isles of Scilly Museum, which locals and visitors alike have come to treasure, closed its doors after 50 years with its new, temporary location at St. Mary's Town Hall, renamed the Museum on the Move Visitor Centre. It houses some of the most prestigious collections - from the Nornour brooches, the Bryher sword and mirror, and salvaged artefacts from notable shipwrecks including HMS Association of 1707. The Museum on the Move discovery map will help you locate 12 more pop-up displays in venues across the five inhabited islands of Scilly.

Pic: known as "the whiskey galore shipwreck" - the MV Cita ran aground in gale force winds in 1997 resulting in merchandise landing across Scilly's shoreline

"Look out for the pop-up display of the beautiful artefacts from the SS Longships which are on show at The Seven Stones Inn, St. Martin's. The pub takes its name after the reef which wrecked the ship in 1939." Kate Hale, Museum Curator

Image: The handbell from SS Longships

Shipwreck Walking Companion App

Sitting alongside the Museum on the Move is the Walking Companion App which offers four different shipwreck trails across the five islands. As you walk the coastal path virtual displays will pop-up on your phone when you are close to the site of a wreck or point of interest. The companions feature research by local historian Richard Larn O.B.E, the Gibson shipwreck photographs, poems read by St. Mary's Theatre club and music from the Rough Island Band and Dalla.

Image: The sinking of the SS Plympton in treacherous waters off the Isles of Scilly, 1909. (The Gibson Shipwreck Collection, (c) Greenwich Maritime Museum)

Celebrate the anniversary of the intrepid gig rescue from SS Delaware in 1871. Learn about the HMS Association fleet disaster of 1707, the tragic tale of the SS Schiller in 1875, and many more as you island-hop your way around this shipwreck laden archipelago.

Image: brooch taken from the body of SS Schiller victim

"The Western Rocks have proved perilous for sailors and are the scene of many fatal wrecks. Find out about the tragic tale of the T.W. Lawson which sank off the nearby island of Annet and whose salvaged artefacts are on display in the Island Hall on St. Agnes." Kate Hale, Museum Curator

You can Download the Walking Companion App here or scan the QR code below

Isles of Scilly Museum Visitor Centre

The Isles of Scilly Museum on the Move Visitor Centre at St. Mary's Town Hall is open Monday - Saturday, 9.30am to 12 noon. Special wet-day openings when possible. Entry is by donation.

Image: Museum on the Move Visitor Centre at the Town Hall, St. Mary's

"The shipwreck room at the Visitor Centre on St. Mary's is a real highlight. The HMS Association fleet disaster display provides a fascinating focal point. The bronze naval stern gun from the wreck is exceptional and kindly on loan to the museum from the Leach Foundation. The myths and legends surrounding this disaster are as interesting as the incident itself" - Kate Hale, Museum Curator