A weekend on St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly

A beautiful archipelago 28 miles off the coast of mainland Cornwall with a subtropical climate, the Isles of Scilly have long been a popular summer destination but, as Elizabeth Dale discovers, there is a great deal to be said for visiting the islands out of season.

rom stargazing and seal and bird watching to its own island vineyard and artisan distillery, St Martin’s is the ideal destination for anyone looking for somewhere different to escape to this winter. This is the Scillies’ northernmost island, a curving bow of land rimmed with white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters. At only three miles long and less than a mile wide, it’s far smaller than the main island of St Mary’s, but don’t be fooled - there’s still a surprising amount to keep you occupied, both day and night!

Though it may seem isolated now, St Martin’s was once regarded as the ‘capital’ of the archipelago. During Roman times, when many of the islands were still joined as one large landmass, it is thought there was a deep-water inlet on the eastern side of St Martin’s which acted as the main port, and ships from across the empire would have stopped here. Indeed, an excavation in the 1960s on the small off-island of Nornour uncovered Roman coins, glassware, pottery, mother-of-pearl goddess figurines and dozens of brooches, suggesting there may even have been a Roman temple on the site. are peppered with prehistoric remains and dozens of ancient standing stones, hut circles and cairns hide amongst the rust-coloured bracken. A network of paths skirts the island’s edges with views of idyllic beaches, rocky headlands and seals lolling in the water. These ever-curious creatures are particularly active during the autumn and winter months while they are raising their pups; this time of year also sees an influx of birdlife, so keep your binoculars at the ready!

The out-of-season, months on St Martin’s can feel incredibly peaceful but the island is home to around 130 people: a tiny but resilient community of innovative folk who seem to have inherited a particular kind of fortitude from their Scillonian ancestors. The islanders are as self-sufficient as possible, collaborate whenever they can and work hard together to achieve their goals.

One such goal was dreamt up in 2015 over a few pints in the island’s lone pub, the Seven Stones Inn, and that idea was to build an observatory. St Martin’s has some of the best dark skies in Britain - very low levels of light pollution combined with the highest number of clear, cloudless nights in the whole of the UK makes it perfect for stargazing. After more than three years of hard work and planning, the island’s group of enthusiastic amateurs raised £90,000 and COSMOS, the Community Observatory St Martin’s on Scilly, opened in 2019 - a truly extraordinary achievement for such a small community.

Today visitors can enjoy some of the best views of starscapes in the UK from the most southerly observatory in the country. There are two domes open to the public, with a 14in Meade telescope for deep sky viewing and a solar telescope for safely viewing the sun during the day.

This autumn, COSMOS held its first annual Scilly Dark Skies Week, welcoming keen astronomers from all walks of life to listen to talks by experts and take part in daily workshops and guided walks. Astronomer and astrophysicist Professor Ian Morison, who has been visiting St Martin’s since the 1950s, was one of this year’s speakers and is a keen supporter of the observatory. “There are very few places in the UK where you can see the night sky any better,” he said. “It’s a wonderful place. There is virtually no light pollution and you can see the Milky Way

beautifully overhead. Just to come and see the skies here is very special.”

The observatory is just one of the ways that St Martin’s has been evolving in recent years. There have been significant changes within the farming community too. While there were once around 20 flower farms on the island, only four remain to supply Churchtown Farm, who send their wonderful scented blooms by post to homes throughout the UK.

Andrew Walder’s family have been farming on the islands for generations and they too have diversified, first into producing sea salt and now the seafarers’ favourite tipple: rum. It’s possible to arrange a visit to SC Dogs Distillery and sample their delicious range of spirits, one of which is infused with honey from the Scilly bees on Tresco. Fittingly, each blend is inspired by the story of one of Andy’s ancestors: Capt’n Stevens, a fisherman famous for singing sea-shanties; smuggler John Nance; and William Gibson, Master of the St Martin’s Pilot.

Not far from the distillery (well, nowhere is far from anywhere on the island) is St Martin’s Vineyard. Visitors are welcome to take a walking tour of fields of vines that would look more at home in the Mediterranean, followed by a tasting session of the wonderful selection of wines that have been produced here – from grape to glass – since 1996. You might even take away a bottle for drinking while you watch the sunset later.

For such a tiny place, the sheer range of businesses operating on St Martin’s is astonishing. As well as the distillery, vineyard and flower farms, there is also the island store and Post Office, the Island Bakery, a silversmith and two art galleries. You can find tasty treats at Polreath Tearoom and Little Arthur Café, and there’s even a clothing range called Scilly Billy as well as the island’s very own shoemaker.

While the business hours may vary during the winter, it’s a small price to pay for those empty white sand beaches! Accommodation choices are diverse too, from camping and cosy cottages like Upidas (named after Ida Reine, who ran a tearoom from her front garden here for many years) to the luxurious Karma Resort Hotel, which boasts 30 Michelinlisted rooms and fine dining at the waterside Cloudesley Shovell restaurant - who could resist breakfast with views across the Tean Sound to the myriad islands beyond? The family-run Seven Stones Inn is another popular bolt-hole, offering equally wonderful views and a warm welcome. The hearty menu ranges from warming soups to freshly caught lobster, all washed down with a Cornish ale.

The days may be shorter and the chances of rain higher, but the Isles of Scilly still have more sunshine hours on average in the winter than anywhere else in the UK and thanks to the Gulf Stream, it’s usually a few degrees warmer too. So whether it is seashells, seals or stars that draws you here, you won’t be disappointed. For those seeking an away-from-it-all wild adventure, St Martin’s truly is an ideal escape. l

You can travel by Penzance Helicopters to Tresco and St. Mary’s, from Penzance Heliport; day trips start from £92.50, single flights from £129.50. www.penzancehelicopters.co.uk

Upidas cottage is one of three cottages owned and managed by Carron Farm. Prices start from £570 and £760. www.carronfarm.co.uk

For further information see www.visitislesofscilly.com