The Isles of Scilly are an incredibly special place to visit, with the vast majority of their beauty to be enjoyed best from exploring in the open air. Whilst you won’t find any mountains or long distance walking challenges here, there is a huge amount to interest the family walker with plenty of wildlife, history and incredible views along the way. In fact the islands’ diminutive size makes them perfect for walking families of all ages, offering the rare chance to just wander off and follow your nose without the worry of getting too lost. Walking terrain varies from barefoot strolls on white sands by turquoise sea, gentle meandering through sub-tropical countryside, exploring miniature heath and scrub-land to dramatic coastal paths and rocky outcrops for older (and adult) kids to scale for views of the crashing waves. There are also plenty of cafes, ice cream stops and wonderful pubs and places to eat along the way. If you ever wanted a perfect spot to set kids loose to learn to navigate by compass and map alone then this is it – they can never wander too far out of range and there are plenty of interesting features so set them free to find your agreed lunch point by themselves!
At the end of this post you will find details of the Baby Routes tried and tested Isles of Scilly walks. Below are a list of useful resources for walking in the Isles of Scilly and you can also pick up a walking leaflet from the tourist information point on St. Mary’s.To be honest though, the list is small. There is a good reason for this – all you really need to walk in the Isles of Scilly is a pair of decent comfy walking shoes, a map (not even that necessary in fine weather and on small islands) and some time – the Isles of Scilly are a walker’s playground and one of the few places in the UK where you can leave your schedule and planning (boat times excepted) behind.
- The Scilly Guest Houses website gives a few ideas on where to start with planning a walk on the Isles of Scilly, including some rough ideas of time taken to complete a round island walk.
- For visitors to Bryher, you can find a useful map and information pack of features to look out for when walking around the island here.
- The Isles of Scilly has an annual walking festival in spring and again in autumn. You can find links to the full schedule on Visit Isles of Scilly website.
- Scillypedia has some suggestions for walk routes, distances and times as well as some detailed information on landmarks, rocks and history of locations across the Isles of Scilly.
