Isles of Scilly -Advice Please.

[DobbyTheHouseElk]

It’s been a long time dream to visit the Scillies. Has anyone been and got any tips? It looks impossible to find anywhere to stay that’s decent for the price.
Thinking about self catering, are the shops very expensive for basic groceries? Is it better to BnB? Although with DC I like to have use of a washing machine with beaches and wet clothes etc.

Any advice would be really helpful.

• [Title edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

Hopeful bump…

Accommodation is very expensive for the quality, there's no getting away from it.

Groceries from the Coop are the same price as mainland prices.

We've been many times, camped, self-catered and short hotel stays. It's all expensive!

That’s what I thought. The accommodation looks basic for the price. Oh I really wanted to go. Maybe I should look at day trips there.

My tip would be to call them the Isles of Scilly, rather than the Scilly Isles. I had a strip torn off me in a Cornish pub for making that mistake.

It's lovely. Can't recommend enough.

Oh dear! My friend who lived there called them the Scilly isles. I’d have thought she’d have known better! Whoops

We are quite tolerant really re the naming convention 😉

It's a very special place, I would recommend it. Just not cheap.

If you can go outside of peak summer hols it's a bit more affordable.

DH is cornish and he says Scillies too. That aside…

I know it’s not cheap, I don’t go on cheap holidays. But I do want some luxury. The accommodation vs the price is something to get over.

I think I’d feel more relaxed in self catering than a B n B. Really I want to walk, and swim and see mermaids and seals.

Been 6 times. One of the most beautiful places.on earth. Avoid May Bank Holiday Gig racing. Cornish and South West clubs visit more than doubling the population but great dun I'd you are a gig rower like me. St Mary's is main island and a good base. Boats from there to other islands. Tresco for example has no cars so be prepared to walk or get a little electric bus. Loads of secluded beaches on other islands where you can bathe even in peak season and hardly see another person but be prepared to walk a bit. Pubs are great but a little more expensive than mainland as stock has to come.by sea! Scillionian ferry not for you if prone to seasickness! Use plane or helicopter. Accommodation expensive but locals friendly and accomadating. If you want a traditional beach holiday probably not for you. But superb for walking and discovery. Coop on St Mary's ok price wise but more expensive on off islands. Can't recommend it enough if you enjoy walking and beautiful scenery. Join local Facebook groups for examples.

I dont know if you'll get luxury sadly. I paid £1000 for a week in an apartment in October and it was ikea furniture, cheap utensils, thin mattresses and weak, dribbly showers.

But the view was heavenly.

If you have a lottery win you could book the Star Castle I suppose 😀

Thank you @Floods123 . As I say, my friend grew up on a smaller island of Scilly and told me all about it. I have stayed on Lundy and quite like solitary spaces.

We definitely are walkers and explorers. So walking distances to find hidden places is usual for us.

DH is cornish and has been for the occasional day trip.

No I don’t gig row, but lots of my friends do as it’s a big deal in our village.

Great to hear you row! Love the South West and the lifestyle. Enjoy the Scillies!

The accommodation is often basic but we are never inside for long each day so it shouldn’t matter too much. The people using the accommodation this year have first dibs on it next year, so you have to speak to the agencies and just take whatever they offer.

Giving this a little bump….

Whilst Scilly is expensive (cost of goods is higher due to freight costs), it's an incredible destination - even in peak summer you can easily find a beach to yourself. It's also hard to comprehend you're in the UK on a sunny day. The one thing I would say is that the islands are consistently booked up - so choice of accommodation may be limited- there is an 'Isles of Scilly Late Availability' page on Facebook.

As you'll be aware you can fly fixed wing, helicopter or travel by ship (March - October). The ship is the most cost effective- but can be bumpy on a rough day. Take stugeron if you don't travel well, get on early & go right to the bottom berths & lie down.
This website is a good source of info on all islands:
www.visitislesofscilly.com
Personally I would definitely stay on one of the off islands for a true Scilly experience.

St Mary's, whilst lovely, is akin to a small Cornish town. If you did want to stay on st Mary's & are looking for a budget friendly option this place has been highly recommended to me:

www.longstonecafe.co.uk
St Mary's has the widest selection of restaurants, pubs etc - there's also a riding centre, and you can hire golf buggies to get around & see the whole island.
However, If you stay on an off island you can still island hop.
Tresco is a luxury private estate, essentially set up as a resort - you can fly in direct by helicopter. Accommodation is on the luxury end of the scale & prices reflect that. Tresco boat services operate for both Tresco & Bryher. Tresco has a pub & beachside restaurant - both expensive, London gastro prices. Tresco has the Abbey Gardens, which are stunning.

www.tresco.co.uk
Bryher is the smallest island, it has a well stocked shop, cafe, pub & upmarket hotel as well as good quality self catering. You can hire kayaks & small boats on Bryher if you want to explore the uninhabited islands too. They also have a wonderful seafood shop/ cafe.
bryher-islesofscilly.co.uk
St Martins arguably has the best beaches (Tresco are fantastic too). It has a hotel, pub, bakery, shop & 2 cafes. Walking on st Martin's is wonderful. Particularly the Daymark walk. Great Bay is the best beach in Scilly & never busy.
St Agnes is also wonderful- it has a pub, small cafe, shop & self catering options. Also a great campsite & ice cream farm.

All the islands are worth a visit, you'll find your favourite (mine is Bryher) - my advice is to book early (accommodation, restaurants etc) and take each day as it comes. School holidays are always busy - but because the islands have such limited capacity, they never feel overrun, you'll still find a beach or island to yourself. I would definitely book a wildlife safari tour (in a rib) - there are humpback whales & dolphins around the islands at the moment & it's a wonderful way to see a lot in a short space of time. Or hire a small boat & potter.

In my opinion there is nowhere better than Scilly. Enjoy!

the journey is horrendous! it is not day trip material! we have camped there, very nice, good facilities, laundrette, etc. Cheap supermarket food, all lovely

I have vivid memories of holidaying there in 1967, and it doesn't sound like much has changed.

I would love to go again.

The Scillonian is top heavy and has a very shallow draft as the harbour at St Mary's isn't very deep. This is why it is prone to pitching and rolling even in a slight swell. I think the crossing took about three hours. I agree that if you are prone to seasickness it is better to fly.

Thank you @Dazedandconfused28 , @Nimbostratus100 , @RampantIvy

I think we would fly, DH is a bad sailor. I know it’s going to be expensive, but finding accommodation seems to be really difficult. I will check out the recommendations.

Really wanting to do some island hopping and spend s much time as possible in the sea. We’d be going early July so hoped to have a quieter time as it won’t be full on summer holidays then.

We stayed in a cottage on Tresco and mainly ate out. Very relaxing and nice walks, even though the weather wasn’t that great. The crossing out was pretty bad but I got chatting with someone who had being going there since he was a boy and he told me it was the worst crossing he had ever had. Weather good enough to sit on deck going back which was great. Bryher was lovely and a good lunch in the hotel. Going back for a week in the summer. I think lots of people staying on Tresco will educate their children in the independent sector so they start their school holidays in early July.

How about Guernsey instead OP? They have some lovely 3 star and 4 star hotels, lots of nice self-catering and it's really easy to island hop to Herm and Sark. You can either ferry or fly, but the island hopping is boat only.

I've always wanted to go! Looks so beautiful

Real favourite destination for us. We started visiting when DC were 10 and 7 and we camped on St Mary's to save money. We invested in an Islandshare on Tresco two years ago so now have the same week in September for 15 years. Going with friends this year.
Yes it's expensive for all sorts of reasons. Accommodation will be your biggest cost followed by transport. Scillonian is the cheapest but can be an unpleasant journey on the way out. We never had a bad crossing on the way back so would fly out and boat back. Now we're older and financially better off, we helicopter direct to Tresco. You can save money by cooking for yourself most of the time.
Be aware that there's actually very little to do on the islands other than just enjoy them! Suits us down to the ground but will be a shock if you're used to resort holidays or typical seaside towns. Staying on Tresco gives us access to the spa and pools which adds another dimension after years of camping. DD is coeliac and both the pub and restaurant, as well as the (very expensive) store on Tresco were excellent for her.
Bryher has been our favourite island since our first visit.
Go for it op. You can tick it off your list if nothing else!

In response to a previous poster - Guernsey would be a very different feel to Scilly - lovely, but akin to a town really. I love Sark - and much more an island experience - but Scilly will give you the experience of being in an archipelago, with the capacity to island hop.

I love Sark so much that I have holidays there three times.

Flying doesn't cost that much more than the boat and is well worth it in my opinion. Although if your flight is cancelled due to bad weather, you'll be going on the boat anyway.

If you want luxury, stay at Karma St Martin's, it's lovely.