Discover Cornwall & The Isles of Scilly Car-free

Set off this morning from historic Paddington station in West London, taking one of England’s most evocative rail journeys to the country’s south-western tip. Glide through Berkshire, past Windsor Castle, through the north Wessex Downs, before spearing south through Somerset around the Blackdown Hills to Exeter. From here, hit the south Devon coast and skirt Dartmoor then on to St. Austell, Truro and Redruth on the way to your destination at Penzance. (Let us know if you prefer to take the Night Riviera Sleeper to awaken in Cornwall.)

Your Accommodation in Penzance

Perched on the hill overlooking sweeping Mount’s Bay, your independently owned accommodation in Penzance may well be the perfect way to start any holiday. A Georgian former manse, the house has been upgraded to exacting standard, with a hugely appealing collection of art and mid-century, retro-modern furniture expertly utilised to create a soothing atmosphere. Every detail has been pored over to create guest accommodation of quite wonderful quality, while your host is full of advice on how best to make the most of your time.

Two of Cornwall’s beautifully contrasting destinations await exploration. On your doorstep, you’ll find windswept Penzance with its Victorian promenade and arcades, subtropical oasis Morrab Gardens, historic, legendary fortress St. Michael’s Mount and the extraordinary spectacle of cliffside Minack Theatre.

And just 35 minutes North by train, dazzling St. Ives delivers world class beaches, a maze of cobbled streets and alleyways featuring every type of shopping and dining, the award winning Tate Gallery and a uniquely Cornish atmosphere.

After breakfast, take a taxi to the tiny airport at Land’s End. Here, board a Twin Otter aircraft for the thrilling 26 mile flight to the UK’s south-western extreme, the evocative Isles of Scilly. You’ll enjoy expansive views of the edges of the Cornish coast at take-off, and in no time see the clutch of Scilly islands hovering into view, seemingly sprinkled from nowhere in the bright blue Atlantic Ocean. Landing at St. Mary’s Airport, you’ll be met by a vehicle from your hotel and whisked to ‘capital’ Hugh Town for two nights in a hilltop castle.

Your Accommodation in Hugh Town

High on the hill overlooking Hugh Town, your accommodation on the island of St. Mary’s is the Elizabethan castle that has kept watch over the islands since the late-16^th century. Family owned and run, the castle features an eclectic selection of rooms both ancient and modern, many with panoramic views across Scilly, fine dining and conservatory restaurants and an atmospheric dungeon bar. During breakfast below the conservatory vine, boatmen take time to meet each guest, helping plan your day ahead if crossings are required, with timings posted on blackboards at hotel reception and around the islands. This is island life at its best.

This morning you’ll be met at your hotel by an expert local guide and taken on a day long walking tour of the island of St. Mary’s. Uncover the rich history of the island capital, starting with the Garrison Walls of your castle hotel, before descending in to Hugh Town with its harbour-side setting, Town Beach and clutch of galleries, shops and cafés. Further afield, stroll the beaches of Porthmellon and Portcressa and unearth Neolithic Bants Carn, the settlement of Halangy, as well as the burial chambers of Buzza, Innisdigen and Porth Hellick. Along the way, immerse yourself in tales of seafaring while uncovering some of the UK’s richest sea and marine wildlife.

Take your time over breakfast and plan your day ahead. Prepare for the 20 minute boat ride to Tresco, the second largest of Scilly’s inhabited islands. Don’t worry about your luggage, as this will be transported for you to quayside and looked after whilst you make your way there. Taking to the water in one of the islands’ many small craft, accompanied by local boatmen, you’ll motor past uninhabited Samson to the west, navigating between some of the dozens of islets that litter the ocean, before arriving at the quay on Tresco. From here, it’s a matter of yards’ walk to your accommodation.

Your Accommodation on Tresco

Facing west in the village of New Grimsby, your accommodation on Tresco is a welcoming inn at the heart of life on the island. Wreckwood and marine relics feature at almost every turn in the traditional bar, where visitors are invited to share stories over a pint of cider with the friendly locals. The in-house restaurant sees guests dine on the best produce these islands have to offer, including veg from the Abbey Garden, Bryher crab and lobster, and Cornish beef, while comfortable, unfussy rooms are exactly what’s needed after a day ‘s exploration in the sea air.

Enjoy a 20 minute stroll this morning as visitors swish by on electric buggies or bicycle, the sandstone village spread out along the coast and up the hill. Strolling south, soon you’re in dense, subtropical forest surrounding ‘Great Pool’, a popular watch spot for the many birdwatchers who flock to Scilly all year round, and shortly Tresco Abbey Gardens present themselves. Acclaimed as some of the UK’s finest, the gardens occupy a vast, multi-level world, where near-tame red squirrels share space with exotic birds, the eerie collection of figureheads at ‘Valhalla’ tell their own story, and a simply breathtaking array of plant life abounds from across the Earth.

Later, enjoy a coffee in the in-house café before the stroll back to New Grimsby, perhaps taking lunch of fresh crab sandwiches at the waterside restaurant or something different at your accommodation.

This morning you’ll be transferred back to Bryher quayside to catch your boat to St. Mary’s. Here, you’ll be met by a Skybus driver and whisked back to St. Mary’s Airport for your return flight to Land’s End. At Land’s End, take a short taxi ride to Penzance and board the train back to London Paddington.