Bryher, Scilly Isles - Things to do?

[Fluffymonster]

Hi

We're off on hols next week, with our two kids (3 and 5yrs), plus extended family, to Bryher. Whilst I'm really looking forward to seeing some beautiful scenery and being near the beach, I understand it's very quiet there too.

We'll all be staying in a SC cottage as a group. Just looked at the weather forecast and it's not looking all that great, so feeling a bit worried about kids getting bored, adults bickering etc.

Any tips/suggestions on keeping the peace/kids entertained, to help settle some pre-holiday jitters? Thanks

take plenty of games with you. pre prepare a treasure hunt for the kids. it is v v quiet on Bryher so may need to pre plan an activity a day for your little ones like den building. we used to take cheap nail varnish and coloured wool. the kids collect shells with holes in, varnish them, thread them and then sell them to you. would suggest you try and book some boat trips out as well.

Thanks for the reply mummymeister! OK so it's more a case of making our own entertainment and being creative, which is what I thought. We'll do lots of baking and craft type things then. Take some activity books and dvds for rainy weather.

Quiet is the understatement of the year, it's also absolutely beautiful, quiet and safe.

And I'm unbelievably I haven't been to Scilly since DMIL died and we lost our annual slot.

Take a boat trip to Agnes, walkout to the Maze and look out to the Bishop light house. It is truly beautiful and you will always want to return.

Thanks StarBallBunny, will put that on the Things To Do list. I'm getting quite excited now!

Hello!

Just to feedback on the hol - well it's true, what a truly beautiful place Bryher (and Scilly Isles) is. We were incredibly lucky with the weather admittedly - just a drop of rain as we were leaving!

Things we did:

• Took a walk up to Shipman Head, where the kids loved scrambling onto rocks, and posing like explorers. Even our 3yo old found the walk OK, needed to be carried some of the way, but not too tough going.

• The small, friendly Fraggle Rock Pub is worth a visit for the Friday 'Fish 'n' Chips' night alone. We didn't really go in the pub much otherwise, as the weather was so great, but it seems very child friendly, with some board games upstairs, jenga etc. Downstairs had a TV (where they had put out rows of chairs for people to watch the Olympics opening ceremony the night we were there). Ouside, there is a tabled seating area and a tree with a tyre and rope swing, that all the kids loved. Holidaying children from the island's campsite (very nearby), seemed to mix and socialise there, so it might be a good place for kids to make friends, while the grown-ups have a sit down and relax with a beverage.

• Kitchen Porth, a smallish beachy area is just down the way from Fraggle Rock pub - small but perfectly formed! Great for sandcastle building, kite-flying, shell collecting, paddling etc. It's utterly beautiful, and can look like 10 different beaches depending on the light, and angle you look at it.

• Boat trip to St Agnes. Unfortunately didn't make it to the maze (though others in our party did, and had a great time). We spent the day on the Bar, the bit of beach between St Agnes and Gugh, that appears at low tide. The children loved this beach most of all due to the expanse of smooth beach to run around on and shallow waters. They just had great fun running around and paddling - discovering a razor clam shell and a sea anemone. Lovely hot day in the middle of summer and the beach still seemed secluded. The very pleasant Turks Head Pub is nearby, so toilets/refreshments was a short walk away. The view is spectacular from the outside terrace.

• Building sandcastles and making little dams on the beach at Rushy Bay. We found the beach was red-flagged when we went, and couldn't paddle much due to quite a lot of jellyfish. Having said that, never having seen marine life such as live jellyfish and starfish up close it was an amazing experience for our city-living kids! (And myself tbh)

• Indoor activities included hide and seek (several times, most days!). Shell-painting with poster paints and collected shells. Activity books, board games. Den building with cushions, chairs etc.

• Boat trip to Tresco - (we left the kids with the grandparents for one of the days), walked around the island, up to Cromwell's Castle, and King Charles Castle, where the scenery is gorgeous with all the pink/purple heather on the landscape. Back down to the Ruin Beach Cafe for a very pleasant lunch, and then walked to Pentle Bay - another spectacular, unspoilt beach.

• Slide and Hammock Swing in the Bryher community centre playground. Think they open the centre up as a rainy day resource, but it was closed when we went.

• Vine Cafe, which is very homely and looks like it's run in someone's greenhouse! Also child friendly with a selection of toys/books. Lovely cream teas and it does reasonable lunches. Dinner is available but need to book. They also do a selection of dairy free cakes.

• There is a mini golf and croquet lawn by Hell Bay hotel, we didn't use it but it's there.

• The Shop and Post Office on Bryher is small but well stocked - so there is an opportunity to get ingredients to do baking/cooking sessions if it's raining.

I'd love to go back! It's an idyllic, Enid Blyton-esque dream for children. The sand is truly amazing - is it the quartz? Whatever it is, it makes the beaches literally sparkle - photos don't capture it. The colour of the sea is amazing with the different shades of blue and vivid turquoise - it was hard to believe at times that we were still in the UK. Anyway, very glad we went and now I know why people love it there!

Oh that sounds really lovely; what a perfect holiday for children. They'll keep many happy memories from it I'm sure.