St Agnes Island England Scilly Isles
United Kingdom
Frequently Asked Questions
Ships anchor offshore and passengers come in by tender to a tiny landing stage. There is no cruise berth and no terminal: landing runs at the pace of the tenders and depends on the state of the sea.
It is the southernmost inhabited island of the Isles of Scilly, off the tip of Cornwall: about 80 residents, one pub, a dairy farm and a maze of paths between heath and coves. Beyond the lighthouse there is nothing but the Atlantic all the way to America.
A gentle walk round the island takes about two hours. Add the sand bar crossing to Gugh if the tide allows, a stop at the Turk's Head and an ice cream at Troytown farm, and the day is full without ever feeling rushed.
Yes, at low tide only. A pale sand bar links the two islands between two sheets of turquoise water, and standing stones raised in the Bronze Age line the way. Check the tide table posted at the landing: the sea covers the crossing twice a day.
A light tower built in 1680, among the oldest in England, dark since 1911 and replaced by the Peninnis Head light on the neighbouring island. Its squat white shape, ringed by granite cottages, serves as a landmark at every junction of paths.
Yes, but the choice comes down to two addresses. The Turk's Head, facing Porth Conger cove, claims the title of most south-westerly pub in the British Isles. Troytown farm sells an ice cream famous across the archipelago, made with milk from its own tiny herd.
Very much. At each migration this scrap of land pushed out into the Atlantic draws vagrant birds from America or Siberia, making it a quiet hotspot for observation. The passage periods, in spring and above all autumn, are the most productive.
A maze of pebbles laid on the ground at the south-west of the island, puzzling walkers since the eighteenth century. It is credited to an idle keeper of the nearby light. Not far off, Wingletang Down hides oddly shaped boulders polished by the wind.
Sterling and English. The island has very few businesses: bring cash, as signal and card terminals are unreliable here.
May to September, for long days, field flowers and a kinder sea for tender landings. The Gulf Stream keeps the climate mild, but the Atlantic exposure means wind in every season.
