IT’S A GLORIOUSLY WARM Tuesday in June when the Scillonian III draws into the pretty harbour on St Mary’s, the largest of the Isles of Scilly, announcing her arrival with three ear-splitting honks. It’s fitting that it’s a blue-sky day, as these are often referred to as the Sunshine Isles, basking as they do in the restorative warmth of the Gulf Stream.
It doesn’t take long to see why they say Scilly is special. The archipelago lies just 50km from Penzance, yet feels as if it has casually shrugged off its British identity. Its white sands and sparkling waters feel more akin to the Caribbean; its fusion of subtropical and native plant life feels a world away from the green and pleasant land a short hop back over the water.
For what is essentially a smattering of granite cast out in the Atlantic, Scilly punches far above its weight for wildlife, a quality reflected in its formidable tally of designations. It’s a Heritage Coast and a Special Area of Conservation, and claims the title of Britain’s smallest AONB. It contains numerous Ramsar wetland sites and Special Protection Areas, and its 11 Marine Conservation Zones are trumped by 26 SSSIs. Not too shabby for a land area of just 16km2, roughly half the size of Bath.
“For what is essentially a smattering of granite cast out
