Autumn on the Isles of Scilly offers a quieter and wilder time. With the landscape changing to golds, reds and yellows, fallen leaves crunch underfoot and the smell of fresh, crisp air tells you autumn has arrived.
Lying off the coast of Cornwall and warmed by the Gulf Stream, the Isles of Scilly can offer an Indian summer for enjoying food, wildlife and spectacular scenery. There are five inhabited islands, waiting for you to explore.
Here are just a couple of things we at Isles of Scilly Travel, love about autumn on the islands…
Walking routes – in autumn the weather can bring in slightly wilder seas and an array of visiting wildlife. There’s nothing better than pulling on a pair of walking boots and exploring each islands’ changing landscape.
Book in a trip to see the wildlife – October is a brilliant time of year to see the visiting birds or a trip to Bishop Rock lighthouse – the western most point of the Isles of Scilly.
If panoramic views are your thing, head to some of the higher points, choose between:
Buzza Tower on St Mary’s or the rocks above the lifeboat slip – both great for watching the sunset.
The Day Mark on St Martin’s for views looking right across the archipelago.
The Block House on Tresco island looks to uninhabited islands and sandy shores stretched out below.
Bryher – Cornish for the land of hills, one of our favourites is Samson Hill, looking across the channel to the uninhabited island of Samson.
Kittern Hill on Gugh, St Agnes, has a wonderful vista of St Mary’s or over St Agnes and looking to Bishop Rock lighthouse.
With Dark Sky status, the Isles of Scilly is one of the best places in the UK to stargaze and there’s a fantastic meteor shower expected in early October.
This year has shown us all the importance of slow living, to make time for one another and ourselves. On the islands, there’s ample opportunity for this with life dictated by the tides and plenty of space to freely roam without barely meeting another person.