Schilly Islands

Another day another Island. The Schilly islands are comprised of a number of Islands with five being considered significant on a small scale. All can be circumnavigated by foot in a day or less. It’s day four and I just finished walking around the Island of Tresco. I’ve been camped on the Island of St Mary’s in a large campground. It’s been very quiet but I doubt it will be that way much longer as the season is just about to start. In the last day the staff has been marking sites with painted lines in the grass and posting notices on picnic stating “No Fires”.

Each morning I’ve paid nine pound fifty pence, about $13 USD r/t, for a shuttle boat to a different Island to walk/hike all day. The boats are quite a racket when you consider a ride doesn’t last more than about 15 to 20 minutes and they are packed with about 50+ passengers. Do the math.

For the most part I’ve been a youngster on the shuttle boats. It’s been mostly the 60 and over yet relatively active crowd. I’m sure that’s about to change. I call the shoulder season the old folks season and the regular season, July and August, the screaming kid season. Old folks require a little patience but are congenial. Kids require a lot of patience and when you have no relation to them they can be downright annoying.

It all goes without saying that the islands are quite beautiful, lovely, and relaxed. The walking along the open moors, craggy coastline, or fern lined paths is pleasant and easy. The beaches are a blinding white sand. The water is blue and clear. The weather has been spectacular and with that there is always a view. However, I would avoid these islands under fowl conditions. They are very exposed and doing anything outside during bad weather would be fairly miserable.

It’s seems like most all of those visiting the islands are British. Everyone is nice, friendly, and in my opinion a bit more proper and polite than usual. Even the young guy, with colored hair and rotted out front tooth, who works at the campground, couldn’t be nicer. We had a nice chat the other day and in exceedingly polite fashion he explained how he was once knicked in London (jailed) but manages to stay out of trouble on St Mary’s.

I arrived on the Schilly Islands via small aircraft out of Land’s End Airport. Security is nothing more than a few questions. The plane seated 8 with one pilot. The pilot just turned around and addressed us in person before the flight. No need for an intercom. The flight only took about 15 minutes and needless to say was very scenic. I’ll ride the boat back which takes about 2 hours 45 minutes. They have a deal where if you sail and fly it’s only abut $13 USD more than taking the boat both ways.

Tonight will be my 4 night and tomorrow I’ll boat it back to the mainland. Since I won’t be getting back to the mainland until later in the evening I booked a bed in a 4 bed dorm at a small hostel in Penzance. On Monday, first thing in the morning I’ll take the train back to London for a night before flying back home to Houston.