Accommodation around the islands ranges from luxury hotels to basic campsites

      There are abundant self-catering cottages and chalets, as well as plenty of B&B establishments and guesthouses. There are nine hotels; six of them around Hugh Town on St Mary’s and one on each of the off-islands except St Agnes. For full details and a full colour brochure contact the Isles of Scilly Tourist Information Centre, Porthcressa Bank, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly TR21 0LW, tel 01720 424031, www.visitislesofscilly.com. Other websites containing useful information and news include www.scillyonline.co.uk and www.scillytoday.com. It is worth listening to Radio Scilly on 107.9FM while you are staying on the islands, www.facebook.com/radioscilly.

      A lot of time and effort can be spent trying to tie ferry and flight schedules into accommodation availability on the islands in the high season, and there may be a need to spend a night before or after your trip at Penzance on the mainland. Arrangements can be simplified by letting Isles of Scilly Inclusive Holidays handle all your requirements in a complete package, tel 01720 422200, www.islesofscillyholidays.co.uk.

Maps of the Isles of Scilly

      The Isles of Scilly could be explored easily enough without using maps, as the total land area is only 16 km2 (6¼ square miles), but mapless visitors would miss a great deal along the way. Detailed maps reveal alternative routes and other options to the walks in this book. Dozens of near and distant features can be identified in view, and access to all the relevant placenames is literally at your fingertips.

      The following maps of the islands are available in a variety of scales and styles. Ordnance Survey grid references indicate the starting point of each walk throughout this guidebook.

      Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer 101 – Isles of Scilly. This map gives the most accurate depiction of the Isles of Scilly on one large sheet, including all the rocks and reefs that make up this complex group, along with a wealth of interesting and amazing placenames.

      Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger 203 – Land’s End, The Lizard & Isles of Scilly. This map shows the Isles of Scilly as an inset. The map offers little detail of the islands and is not particularly recommended detailed exploration, though it is a useful general map and worth having if you are also considering walking around neighbouring Land’s End and The Lizard in Cornwall.

      Free leaflets containing maps of all or some of the islands can be collected from the Tourist Information Centre or picked up from other locations. Some will prove useful, others less useful, and many of them exist to highlight a variety of services and attractions around the islands. Marine navigation charts are for those who sail as well as walk, or for serious marine studies.

      The maps in this guidebook are extracted from the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 map and an overlay shows the walking routes. A few of the maps aren’t of walking routes, but show groups of small islands and rocks that can be visited on boat trips and are covered by short descriptive chapters. There are also a few small-scale plans, showing greater detail of Hugh Town, The Garrison and the amazing Tresco Abbey Garden.

The Walks

      None of the walks on the Isles of Scilly could really be described as difficult. The only way anyone could make them difficult is by rushing through them, which surely defeats the purpose of exploring the islands when there is so much of interest to see. The walks make use of a network of paths, mostly along the coast, but sometimes inland too. They may also follow tracks and roads, but those roads are likely to be free of traffic. Sensible precautions include wearing stout shoes, possibly boots, when walking along uneven or rocky paths, and carrying a set of waterproofs in case of rain. When stormy weather whips up the waves, you can get drenched from salt spray. In any case it is always advisable to proceed with caution whenever walking close to breaking waves; there is always the chance that the next wave will break considerably higher. Unprotected cliffs also need to be approached with caution, especially in high winds or blustery conditions. The sun can be exceptionally strong, so if you burn easily then be sure to keep your skin covered, either with light-coloured, lightweight, comfortable polycotton clothing or a high-factor sunscreen. A good sun hat is also useful, but ensure it is one that ties on so that it won’t be blown away and lost at sea!

      The walks included in this guidebook allow an exploration of the coastlines of the five inhabited islands, as well as some of the smaller islands. With the aid of cruises, walkers can also enjoy close-up views of the Eastern Isles, Norrard Rocks, Western Rocks and even the solitary pillar of the Bishop Rock Lighthouse. It all depends how long you stay on the islands and how much you wish to see. Walkers in a hurry could complete all these walks in a week, but two weeks would give a more leisurely chance to explore and include a number of boat trips. Better still, make two or three trips throughout the year to appreciate the changing seasons.

      By no means do these walks exhaust all the possibilities for exploring the islands, and there are just as many quiet and unfrequented paths left for you to discover. Apart from the walking route descriptions, there are also short descriptions of small islands that might well be visited out of interest, but where the walking potential is really quite limited.