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Our heritage revolves around the sea - fishing for lobsters, crabs and crayfish and racing traditional pilot gigs. Flower farming also thrives here; Scilly's scented narcissi are renowned the world over. This is one of the Scillys’ most unspoilt islands and a birdwatcher's paradise – with many varieties, from puffins to Sabine’s gulls – and it’s impossible not to succumb to its charms. On one side of the island is Rushy Bay (pictured above), lapped by gentle waters and Hell Bay is over on the other, thrashed by the roaring Atlantic. Just one and a half miles long by half a mile wide, Bryher may be small but it sure is mighty.
Above all, Scilly gives you the space and freedom to do everything – or next to nothing – in a breathtaking location that enjoys the mildest climate in the UK. Head to the secluded Great Par beach to find the gallery of local artist Richard Pearce, inside a renovated gig shed, where he paints magical Scilly seascapes all day, every day. Stop in the shallows for a spot of shrimping or starfish spotting. If you’re up for a proper Famous Five adventure, hire a kayak from the Bennett Boatyard and make your way across the water to the twin-peak uninhabited island of Samson. The last families, by then subsisting on a diet of little more than limpets and potatoes, moved away in 1855, and now all that’s left is the crumbling remains of their tiny stone cottages, the roofs and most of the walls long collapsed. The views from Samson, out across the archipelago, are astonishing.On the most south-westerly edge of the Isles of Scilly, St. Agnes is totally unspoilt and astonishingly peaceful. It measures just a mile or so across, and its closest neighbour is Gugh, to which it is joined by a sand bar at low tide. From Penzance, either hop on a shuttle bus to catch the Scillonian III ferry to St Mary’s (journey time around 2hr 45min) or to Land’s End airport for a 20-minute flight on the Skybus. The Skybus also flies at certain times of the year from Exeter (one hour) and Newquay (30 minutes).
On Scilly, you can’t get more local produce than that which is produced on one of our five tiny inhabited islands! Then it’s over to the Gin School where you will take charge of your own mini still. Our library of over 60 botanicals will be available for you to create a ‘recipe’ for your own gin. We will guide you through the flavour profiles to craft a delicious spirit! When Tarquin, Head Distiller at Southwestern Distillery, asked Hell Bay Hotel if they wanted to create their own gin, you can imagine the decision didn’t take long. Tarquin's Hell Bay Gin was born... The gin is distilled using a closed cooling system – the botanicals, once spent, are composted and the result is sold with donations going to Cornwall Air Ambulance and the RNLI. Are there any new items or additions Scilly Spirit Distillery are going to launch, that we can buy in the coming months?
Facilities
The Scilly adventure continues as you hop from island to island by boat, experiencing many natural wonders – basking sharks, seals, dolphins and a multitude of rare birds. Some visitors crave the deep sense of tradition here, immersing themselves in history and myth. Others come to walk, to cycle, to sail or to enjoy the heightened creativity of island life through painting, photography or crafts. Many love to lose themselves in the sights and scents of the sub-tropical plants and flowers that give Scilly its distinctive landscape; and everyone can savour the flavour of fresh seafood in beachside cafés and local ales at a traditional pub. The imbiber will not only benefit from a deliciously different gin but seaweed is, of course, one of the most powerful superfoods on the planet with the highest number of vitamins and minerals of any food group. So what are these superfoods that have extracted so much goodness from the ocean, ready to impart it so delicately into this superb spirit?
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