Why the Isles of Scilly offer the perfect spots to hole up after lockdown

Oh, to be a resident of the Isles of Scilly! The archipelago 30 miles off the coast of Cornwall didn’t record its first coronavirus case until the end of September 2020 – a month after I’d been lucky enough to stay there – and has only had “fewer than three” cases since, according to the local council, with no accompanying deaths.  

And until the new lockdown measures were announced for England, the most southerly point of the UK was the only spot still in tier 1, meaning locals could go out to restaurants and meet other households, provided it was in groups of no more than six.

It’s hardly surprising really, not when you’ve been there at any rate – the islands have a magical way of diluting tourists, so that you rarely find yourself within view of more than a handful of people. This remains true across the isles – even the tiniest ones – so that during my trip in August. I kept finding myself on long stretches of secluded beach, wondering where the hundred or so others who’d journeyed across with me on the morning boat had gone. In other times, it might have felt a little lonely. During a pandemic, it was reassuringly peaceful.

Even on the main island, St Mary’s, where I’d based myself for the duration, the only place that attracted a (socially distanced) crowd was the Co-op in the centre of town – the islands’ sole supermarket. Keep strolling for 50 yards, and it was back to pin-drop silence, save the blustering wind, and miles of uninterrupted coastline, with luminescent, peroxide-blonde sand lapped by Caribbean-blue waves.

Back in August, restrictions had been loosened again. Indeed, we were all being encouraged to get out there and “eat out to help out” – and so I did, returning to civilisation with gloriously salty chips to accompany ocean views at Juliet’s Garden, sumptuous smoked prawns at On the Quay and the haute-cuisine version of a fish pie at Star Castle. The Hall had upped the ante in terms of Covid hygiene, with large Perspex screens erected between each table. The look might not have been what you’d call sophisticated, but I certainly felt safe tucking into crispy panko cauliflower and tempura battered fish from behind my see-through fortress.

But aside from my restaurant forays, I could appreciate the true appeal of Scilly as a rural idyll. It is a place to be outdoors, getting up close and personal with the natural world, whether it be on horseback with St Mary’s Riding Centre, clip-clopping your way down fern-lined coastal paths that give way to soft sand under hoof; or on foot, exploring the islands’ Bronze Age history on a guided tour with knowledgeable local archaeologist Katharine Sawyer. 

Island hopping is also part of the fun, and on Tresco – the only one that’s privately owned and managed – I spent the day exploring the heathlands and beaches by bike. On St Martin’s, the northernmost isle, I took the plunge and swam in empty waters that, though they looked Barbadian, were an awful lot colder. Having that vast expanse of sea and sky, both eye-wateringly blue, all to myself more than made up for the icy temperatures.

If I’d wanted to, in fact, I could’ve spent the entire time in splendid isolation, keeping well away from any potential virus carriers while immersing myself in Scilly’s fabulously rugged landscapes. But that would have been to miss out on the islands’ other enduring appeal – the people.

With a packed itinerary, by the end of my stay I felt I’d met at least half the local population – and each resident was lovelier than the last. Island living attracts a certain kind of person, I suppose, and demands a certain kind of temperament. Islanders can’t afford to be standoffish or aloof; they can’t swat away potential friends and pride themselves on self-reliance. 

For one thing, living cut off from the mainland is difficult enough in any given year, let alone during a pandemic. Locals had no choice but to count on each other during what was one of the toughest winters they’d ever experienced. And, for another, seeing the same smattering of faces for months on end means that new ones are even more welcome over the summer, offering fresh perspectives, injecting new energy into the place.  

I wanted Oriel Hicks, a local artist who helps run creative cooperative Phoenix Studios on St Mary’s, to be my surrogate mum; I wanted Kylie Carter, a sustainable, small-scale duck farmer who makes a cracking cup of coffee, to be my wise big sister; I wanted Emily and Dom Crees, who run the Seven Stones, the only pub on St Martin’s, to be my best mates (the kind that give you free drinks and chips on the regs).

Perhaps most of all, I was keen for Arthur and Hilary Miller of Scilly Spirit to be the cool aunt and uncle I could reliably get gently sozzled with and complain about life in the London rat race. The pair have fairly recently launched their first tipple, a lip-smackingly good gin inspired by the islands themselves, alongside an accompanying gin school where you get to play alchemist and make your own.  

Pandemic or no, Scilly is a glorious proposition – a destination blessed with so much natural beauty that the limited accommodation options get booked up 12 months in advance, as regulars secure their spot for the following year. But the pandemic has done one good thing at least, according to locals – it’s helped diversify the holiday market. Young couples and groups of friends who would normally have headed abroad over the summer discovered this gem much closer to home. New blood is finding that domestic travel doesn’t have to feel substandard or limiting.  

I, for one, am stupidly grateful I got the chance to experience Scilly in all her glory before things went south again. When domestic travel opens up once more, I suggest these bewitching islands go straight to the top of your holiday wishlist – but you best get in there quick.

Scilly is accessible by boat from Penzance. The Scillonian III sails daily; return passage costs from £48.

Helen Coffey was a guest at Tregarthen’s, a traditional hotel conveniently placed next to Hugh Town and the quay. Doubles from £95.

Go to visitislesofscilly.com