Saint Martin’s
Mouth-watering local lobsters and crabs abound, together with fresh fish, local lamb, beef and vegetables, eggs, bread and butter, beer and wine, ice cream, jam and fudge, all make for perfect picnics and brilliant barbecues.
To find out the wide array of café’s, restaurants, pubs and takeaway’s it’s best to visit
www.simplycilly.co.uk/site/ taste-scilly
The Off Islands B
ryher is the most untamed of the inhabited Scilly Isles. Its surface is covered in the most part by wild flora and fauna. It has a tiny population of around
seventy people who are largely situated around the eastern quay. Despite this, it does have a fair amount of accommodation, pubs and shops. There is also plenty to do here; in the summer the place is animated by colour as the numerous flowerbeds come to life, in the autumn the migratory birds use Bryer as their resting place and during the winter Hell Bay is lashed by the Atlantic Ocean producing some magnificent scenes.
Water sports of all types are available for the visitor including; reef and wreck diving, launch hire for shark fishing or maybe just snorkelling in the lovely Rushy Bay, one of the safest and prettiest beaches on the island. Samson has been deserted since 1855. Most of the notorious gig races begin here at Nut Rock and end at St Mary’s Quay.
Bryher is the smallest of the inhabited islands lying to the west of Tresco. Look out here for the dwarf Pansy, so small that you will have to go on your hands and knees to find it.
St Martin’s offers you an ideal location for family with secluded, clean beaches and breathtaking scenery, with stunning views; such as across the vast expanse of the great Bay to the secluded tranquillity of Old Quay. St Martin’s is the third largest of the islands located at the northeast corner of the Isles of Scilly archipelago. It is the first island that you see as you travel to the Isles of Scilly from the mainland.
The character of the island is very much like its neighbour Tresco, with habitats ranging from the rugged, heather
clad cliffs of the north shore – shaped over then centuries by the relentless action of the North Atlantic’s winter gales – to the more sheltered southern aspect characterised by small enclosed flower fields above sheltered sandy beaches and crystal clear waters.
St Agnes, at one mile across, is one of the smaller of five inhabited islands in the Scilly archipelago, and has a community of only 72 people. Visitors wanting to get away from the stress of the mainland life find themselves surrounded by clear water and clean air straight off the vast sweep of the Atlantic. On a cloudless night the stars are bright in the purity of the unpolluted sky. The paths that wind around the deeply indented coastline provide a succession of light-filled views, from the curving white sand bar between St Agnes and Gugh, to the great weathered granite cairns on the Wingletang downs to the south.
St Agnes changes constantly with the seasons. From November to March many islanders are involved in flower farming – harvesting early narcissus in the frost- free climate – while the rest of the year is taken up with cultivation, fishing, the sale of bulbs, flowers and craft products and catering for guests. In the summer holidays the guest houses, campsite and self catering cottages fill up with families looking forward to the long sunny days on the beach, boating, exploring other islands and eating outside the pub or in Covean garden café. Friday night is ‘gig night’ when visitors and locals can take a trip on the Spirit of St Agnes to watch the islands six oared pilot gig, Shah, race against St Mary’s and other off island gigs, followed by a hot chocolate and brandy in the Turks Head.
People of all ages love this island. It is safe, clean and very beautiful.
32 Samson
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116