Isles of Scilly - do's and dont's?

[YogaLite]

Planning a trip with a friend who is organising getting there, what do we need to know whilst there? Will be staying in one of the hotels.

Do I need to worry much about dress code?
Any must do's and dont's whilst there?

Great advice re cash and spare boots 🙂

there absolutely is a dress code!! No bare arms above the elbow, men definitely not shirtless, beach wear is only for the beach etc. Its frowned upon to look "common"

Oh Barbara must be on Tresco.

You simply MUST travel there by boat, the Scillonian III is honestly the.most.authentic way to arrive, please don't skimp on this opportunity, you'll thank me for suggesting it.

@ScillyBarbara, thank you, I will pack a light jacket just in case.

I have read that average temperatures are quite cool even in the summer, we are going in May, so probably no danger of beachwear unless an unexpected heatwave.

I love exploring and grabbed a couple of books (fiction) set on IoS as my prep to familiarise myself with the general idea what to expect.

I don't think I can stomach the boat @TrombonesAreNotBones, but will make a point of visiting the harbour to see where it arrives and, weather permitting, we hope to visit the main islands.

Any more ideas of places and locations to see are welcome!

Those of you familiar with the islands, is it possible to do circular coastal walks relatively easily?

If we had to prioritise, which coastal circular walks are am absolute must?

We walked along the coast on St Mary’s not the whole coast lots of lovely walks.

I am thinking to do as much coastal walks as I can possibly fit in, although also hope to visit Tresco gardens etc.

I hope there are coastal paths around all islands.

I have also got Michael Morpurgo's books and one other set on IoS and hope to recognise the sites described in them.

Where do you fly from? I'd love to go. My parents had their honeymoon there in the 1950's

We did coastal walks around Tresco fine and was lovely. I think can do coastal walks on them all and get boats between them all. We flew from Penzance on helicopter and back to Lands End with shuttle bus to Penzance on Skybus. Can also fly from Exeter and Newquay.

It's magic.

Not labelly as far as I noticed.

Outdoorsy, beautiful, full of nature, feels a long way away. Old fashioned in a good way.

Walking shoes, Wet weather stuff, swimming stuff , sun cream, very casual.

Pasties, clotted cream teas, fish and chips. Homemade ice cream.

Tresco feels a bit different and a more Waitrose on Sea clientele but still the feel of the Islands overrides that.

The ferry is notorious for causing sea sickness.

Swimming with seals ( done in a really low key way) was so lovely.

The beaches are just amazing.

Love it there.

What I like is apart from boat times and picnic you don't really have to plan much. You can just set off. The islands are so small. Explore whatever takes your fancy.

Hired bikes on St Mary's and off we went. Followed our noses. Left them by the side of the road when we needed to. So nice to just let things unfold.

Thank you for the recommendations 😘it all sounds really nice, getting a bit excited

Flying from Exeter, back to Lands end/Penzance then train back to Exeter.

I can't face the ferry and I have just read that there is going to be a delay replacing it with something a bit more modern which is a bit disappointing ☹️

The ferry, Scillonian, is known as The Vomiting Venus. It's a mystery to us why Caledonian MacBrayne, running ferries serving the Scottish islands, gets public money but the Scillonian doesn't.

I was fine on the ferry in August and I have a sensitive stomachache. However a few days later it got cancelled then reinstated. A notice is usually put in the coop. Can’t remember what it said but something the reinstated cancelled ferry is now running. It says when it arrives. You just turn up at the quay for the boats to the other island. It seemed that most of boat owners had dogs. These dogs had a wonderful life.

oh we have been every Whitsun week for 8 years - and have never had a year without being able to sunbathe on the beach! Sure, a couple of hours later you need a sweater and windcheater... but we always come back with a tan! And yes, the sea is cold all year round; but it is crystal clear and absolutely blissful to swim in!

Supper boat from St Marys to St Agnes eat at Turks Head is a nice trip

If you want to eat out in St Marys in the summer peak, book in advance.

If you are on FB Isles of Scilly noticeboard is good to follow

I’ve been to Tresco twice. Definitely no dress code. It’s stunning .

Dres code depends on where you are staying. We found that it was usual beachwear/ walk wear etc by day. Nothing fancy for pubs either. However we stayed at a place called The Star Castle with my inlaws and definitely had to scrub up for that!
I think people could be less patronising to OP to be honest... It isn't cheap to get there or to stay. However absolutely lovely destination and I hope you ahem a great time

Fantastic place. Do some kayaking if you can.

As to dress code 'yes' and 'no'; clothes are absolutely required. Complete nudity is OK, so long as one's skin is not too baggy or creased.

Scilly is all about the outdoors.
No dress codes I’ve ever come across.
Waterproofs and walking boots.
It is my most favourite place in the world.

Thank you for your comments 🙂
hope to visit all the islands and have been reading up and planning a bit already.
Should have tried it years ago but hey, better late than too late...