The five millionth passenger to travel on an Isles of Scilly Steamship Group ferry was welcomed on board the iconic Scillonian III today (Saturday 25th May).
Passenger number 5,000,000 was Nick Mair from Somerset, who boarded the ship in Penzance this afternoon bound for St Mary’s with his wife Jacqueline.
To mark the milestone, he was presented with a pair of complimentary Scillonian III tickets and a bouquet from Scilly Flowers on St Martin’s by the ship’s Master, Victoria Bolitho.
The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group began its regular ferry service in 1926, and Nick is the five millionth passenger to travel on one of its ferries since then.
Three Scillonian passenger ferries have been operated by the Steamship Group since 1926. Scillonian III came into service on 17th May 1977, replacing Scillonian II which serviced the route for 21 years before her – and number four will come into service in 2026.
Nick said: “This was such a surprise. It is our first trip to the Isles of Scilly and to be passenger number 5 million was such a delight. Everyone has been so lovely and we really feel as though we have had VIP treatment. We’ve always wanted to visit the islands and can’t wait to do some walking and exploring and seeing somewhere we’ve always heard such great things about for ourselves.”
Stuart Reid, Chief Executive of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, said: “The five millionth passenger was welcomed on board this afternoon, which was a significant milestone for the Group and one which we are all immensely proud of.
“Our mission to provide regular, reliable ferry services to the islands remains as relevant now as it was when the company was founded more than 100 years ago.
“Scillonian has been a vital lifeline for islanders and a popular and affordable way of visiting Scilly for the many thousands of holidaymakers and day trippers who return to the islands year after year.”
During the last four decades, Scillonian III has made more than 10,000 return journeys between the Isles of Scilly and the Cornish mainland, travelled more than 688,500 nautical miles, and now carried five million passengers – including visiting Royals, past Prime Ministers and many celebrity visitors.
Scillonian III sails from Penzance to St Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly daily between March and November, with day trips starting from £25 for local residents.