Isles of Scilly
St Mary's, Tresco, St Agnes, Bryher and St Martins
When you arrive in St Mary's, you get out of the helicopter and step back in time. One of the great triumphs of the Scillonians is that they have managed to adapt to modern day living and to welcoming visitors without allowing it to affect their islands or their lifestyle. So it is that a holiday in this beautiful group of islands is full of interest, particularly for those who like birds, flowers and islands in general, and is also utterly peaceful and relaxing.
Your holiday is spent strolling around, soaking up the atmosphere and taking advantage of the excellent opportunities to enjoy a wide variety of natural history from seabirds to moths and everything in between.
During our week-long stay we will visit all the main islands, each of which has its own character and atmosphere. Perhaps the best known is Tresco with its famous Abbey Gardens where, thanks to the influence of the Gulf Stream, sub-tropical plants grow in the open; meanwhile you will find Britain's most south-westerly point at the end of Wingletang Down on St Agnes - even the names of these places are soothing!
We go to St Martin's with its sandy beaches and cliff scenery and to Bryher (which means "Place of the Hills" in Celtic), the smallest of the islands but one where you could spend days taking in the magnificent views.
All this and we haven't even mentioned the birds! Again there is tremendous variety, as there so often is on islands. Most of our tours average around 75-85 species of birds at this time of year. We'll take a "seabird special" boat trip and hope to encounter puffins and shearwaters amongst others. Waders, woodland and garden birds are to be found all over with the occasional birds of prey overhead, and in mid April we are always on the lookout for the odd migrant. The Isles of Scilly are famous for turning up some extraordinarily unlikely birds!
This holiday is ideal for keen birders and beginners alike, taking in as it does all other aspects of island life but never missing an opportunity to look for and at birds round every corner. The Isles of Scilly really make you feel like you've had a holiday!
