Isles of Scilly Discovery Holidays
established 2002
Enjoy a car-free, care-free holiday!
Visiting St Mary’s, St Agnes, St Martin’s, Tresco & Bryher
and, in June and September, some uninhabited isles.
12th - 19th May 2012 [FULL], 9th - 16th June 2012 &
15th - 22nd September 2012
Price £595 per person
Leave your car behind and escape to the remarkable Isles of Scilly, some 28 miles beyond Land’s End, for a relaxed, friendly and informal holiday. You will explore, by boat and on foot, thousands of years of richly varied human presence on this intimate and ancient part of granite Britain.
Scilly comprises an archipelago of five inhabited islands with scores of uninhabited ones. It is renowned for a number of spectacular prehistoric graves, including the site of the recently discovered Bryher sword and mirror burial of about 100 BC. Tresco Priory, chapels and churches echo a special Christian presence extending back more than 1,600 years. Castles and other fortifications include those that witnessed some of the very last fighting in the English Civil War in 1651. Tinworking and stonecutting also have a presence.
Visits by short boat trips will be made to all four distinctively different inhabited off-islands, as well as deserted ones during the June holiday, weather permitting. In May, a full day is spent exploring the island of St Mary’s.
All these elements are bathed in a breathtaking quality of light, set in a context of birds, flowers, seals and sandy beaches, which create a unique experience for the visitor.
About 6 hours are spent on each of the main islands, with day walks varying in total length from about 4 – 8 miles. Most walking is along easy tracks, grassy paths and, occasionally, a slightly more rugged coastal section. Earlier return boats can always be taken if desired.
Participants on each holiday will enjoy half a day to spend as they wish. Evenings are also free time, so enjoy your evening meal at St Mary’s pubs, restaurants or hotels, or take a boat trip to St Agnes for supper at the Turk’s Head, weather permitting. There is usually a chance to follow the exciting Gig rowing races, and varied talks on history, natural history, shipwrecks or diving are offered in the evenings. Theatre shows are also very popular.
Bed & breakfast accommodation* is in comfortably appointed establishments on St Mary’s, which has excellent facilities, and only a few minutes walk from the quayside. Accommodation is mostly en suite, but sometimes a separate private or shared bathroom is provided.
The package includes 7 nights’ bed & breakfast, packed lunches on full day excursions, all boat trips to the off-islands, entrance to Tresco Abbey Gardens, and guided exploration and interpretation of the islands with the holiday guide.
You will need to bring stout footwear and waterproofs. It is also advisable to bring a small rucksack for your packed lunches and flask – and don’t forget your sun lotion, binoculars and camera!
Your guide, Dr Tom Greeves, is a cultural environmentalist who trained as an archaeologist and historian and who has explored the Isles of Scilly since 1994. He is also an authority on Dartmoor where his lecturing and guided walks are much in demand.
Details from which to make your own travel arrangements will be sent to you when they become available.
A maximum of 12 participants (minimum of 8 required). Regret no dogs.
*(Please note that only a few single rooms are available. Once these have been filled, a single room supplement, regretfully, may have to be charged).
What former participants have said of the Discovery Holidays:
‘Many thanks for the wonderful, informative guided tour of the stunningly beautiful Isles of Scilly – we had a fantastic holiday.’ C. & J.S., Stevenage.
‘Thank you so much for a truly memorable week – the scenery was wonderful, the information fascinating, and the company congenial! We shall return!’ J. & G.B., Woolacombe.
‘A massive thankyou – we had a wonderful time walking, relaxing, and socialising and, with all the historical and archaeological information, it truly brought the Isles of Scilly to life’. B. & T.W., Torquay.
‘Thank you for all your organisation and making our week on Scilly so enjoyable and worthwhile’. M. & S. W., Cullompton
‘Thanks once again for such a wonderfully interesting week - we enjoyed every minute of it’. – K. & S. L., Northampton.
‘I have been the envy of many friends …about the wonderful time I had’. A. F., Australia.
‘We loved every bit of it and being able to see the Scillies through Tom’s knowledgeable eyes was a bonus indeed’. C. & P. N., Hampshire.
