Hi,
I am trying to find somewhere for a family holiday in August.
Me, wife and 10 year old daughter.
Have been considering the Scilly Isles and would be interested in any experiences plus recommendations of things to do and places to stay.
Cheers
Been there a couple of times, great place for a few days but a week might be trickier unless you just like bimbling around on a bike, visit beaches etc so pretty weather dependent and whether you can keep yourself entertained.
Stay on St Marys. I very much doubt you'll find anywhere to stay now, good luck though. The place is lovely, all the islands are beautiful with their own charm. St Martins was my favourite, it sparkles in the sun. Some of the people can be a bit odd, sorta abrupt or a lil bit rude. You could always camp if you have a tent.
Ice creams, beaches and boat rides sum it up, but not sure there's alot to do for a 10 y/o.
Apart from that an absolutely fantasic place to visit, we've been a few times staying on St.Marys and Tresco and each trip has been better than the time before.
Google the beaches, they do actually look like that! Usually empty.
If you do go, get the plane from Lands End, 15 minutes on a tiny plane or 3/4 hours on a boat that has the ability to turn most of it's passengers green.
I like the boat ! But I don't get sea sick and am pretty relaxed.
The isle of scilly are my favourite place ever just leave the car behind slow down relax and eat cake with some amazing beaches.
But not a huge amount in the way of attractions, which makes it better imo
We I think are off for our 9th trip this summer. We think it is brilliant but I'll try and give a balanced view
We camp on St Agnes. Every I Island has its fans and is in its way great. Well Tresco odd and is even more expensive. The kids were I think 7 and 10 on the first holiday. We went for 6 days as we thought we would be bored if we stayed longer. We now stay for 14 nights on St Agnes and 2 days in Cornwall to allow for travel. Many families go for 3 weeks. Kids are now 17, 18 and 20 all coming this year. We do pay for the odd activity the best of which has been swimming with seals. We also make our own activities including coastering and last summer rock climbing. Watching gig racing is a must. The rest of the time we hang with friends, swim and walk. The friends were all made in the Scillies
But it will be hard to find accommodation even a campsite for this summer.
The camping works for as its how we all made friends. I think that would be harder from cottage
Photos below, ask again for details of anything
Oh and the water is cold
Troy town ice cream
Photos / place looks fab Ampthill - much fun in family Clinch! My boys listed you in the top 5 things about May half term 🙂
If you do go, get the plane from Lands End, 15 minutes on a tiny plane or 3/4 hours on a boat that has the ability to turn most of it's passengers green.
I made that journey on the boat, I think we got to at least the 5th level of hell, I rushed to the toilet in order to throw up and every square inch was full of other passengers barfing. I turned to leg it up the stairs to try and be sick over the side to be confronted by an Alsatian on the stairwell chucking its guts up. The dog and I shared a moment.
Get the plane.
Beautiful islands, quite unlike anywhere else in the UK (are they [b]IN[/b] the UK?) and if your daughter is happy to bimble around on a beach day after day and you're happy to spend the week unwinding you'll have a great time. It's not really the place to go if you need to be entertained.
For us (17th visit already arranged for 2018), one of the attractions is that the pace is slower. We stay on St.Martins but any island would be great to stay on, although Tresco would be our last choice. St. Mary's possibly best for a first visit as there is more going on and a much wider variety of places to eat etc. and you are more likely to find accomodation available there. Be aware that, like us, many people book a year in advance which does restrict late availability, athough I think it is less pressured since the recession.
Edit: the campsite on St. agnes has to have the best view of any on the islands, possibly the best in the South West. Agnes has the added advantage of one of the best pubs as well
Mick your boys where in the top five things for my half term as well
Good follow up story for your them. My son Jack is sponsored by Cliff Bars! This is true in a roundabout way. Sheffield University mountaineering club is sponsored by Cliff Bars and as member be does get some free cliff bars
Any way back to the thread.
A family holiday, in Scilly, is about making the most of opportunities
When the kids were little, things like walking back from the pub as the sun was setting and the kids saying the tides just right for shrimping, so off they went shrimping
More recently it was leaving my son 18 year old, in the pub with a 19 year old girl pouring pints of cider down his throat. What can go wrong here i think? so I say no going in the sea until your sober. But what if there is bio luminescence? Then get me, I say
Sure enough 4 in the morning 2 massively drink teenagers lead me onto a beach literally on fire with luminescence
🙂
Mental note to visit Scilly before the kids get too old. I'd better learn to swim......
But I don't get sea sick
You do on this one 😉 The locals call her "the Stomach Pump"! Great place, went on my own for a week and highly recommend!
Pictures are definitely needed.
Oh Ive been many times and yet to be sick on the boat
Is the boat still the Scillonian? We used to holiday there every year and alternate between the boat (which was awesome) and the helicopter (also awesome until a little kid was trying to open the emergency exit).
I worked in the hotel on st martins for a few months,enjoyed walking around the island and sitting and watching the seals in my freetime(mainly stoned if i'm honest),but I couldn't wait to get off there,it was a bit wicker man for me tbh,but mostly I really missed riding my bike for miles,i'll never live somewhere that small ever again.
Yes still the same boat but no more helicopter for the moment
Aye I could never live there but for wind down it perfect
Scillonian 3 is a barf machine because she's flat bottomed, to clear the sandbanks. IIRC her draught is around 3m so she's a tea tray, capable of motion in all directions at once.
When I used to race gigs, even the rowers were ill on the crossing!