# Scilly Isles this time of year?



## mattie (Nov 26, 2012)

We've got a long weekend in mid-December and were couching around for places to go - ideally, UK-based that we can drive to.  

To contradict myself immediately, we're tempted by Lundy or the Scilly Isles.  Lundy is probably out as we can't get to the helicopter departure in time on the Friday, and there's only option to leave on that flight for return on the following Monday.

The Scilly Isles have a flight from Land's End into St Marys on the Saturday, taking pressure off to get there in time, and there seem to be a number of places to stay there.  Given the sheer ball-ache of the travel (there will be a 5ish hour drive each way, even if flight only 20 minutes), is it likely to be worth going at this time of year?  Not just short daylight hours, but wind, rain, lack of flora and fauna etc.


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## peterkro (Nov 26, 2012)

I went once at the end of November to one of the smaller islands,it was wettish and windy but pretty amazing nonetheless.Long walks,birdlife,sandy beaches great,I should point out we were camping as well.There's a botanic garden on one of the islands which was pretty good even at that time of year.

Edit/ while it did rain a bit it tends to sweep over the islands quickly as they don't have much height to cause the sort of rain you get in Cornwall say.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Nov 26, 2012)

Scilly idea.  Will probably be cold and wet


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## mattie (Nov 26, 2012)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Scilly idea. Will probably be cold and wet


 


Bravo.

One of the alternatives is South Wales, btw.


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## mattie (Nov 26, 2012)

peterkro said:


> I went once at the end of November to one of the smaller islands,it was wettish and windy but pretty amazing nonetheless.Long walks,birdlife,sandy beaches great,I should point out we were camping as well.There's a botanic garden on one of the islands which was pretty good even at that time of year.
> 
> Edit/ while it did rain a bit it tends to sweep over the islands quickly as they don't have much height to cause the sort of rain you get in Cornwall say.


 
It sounds absolutely lovely, and I quite like places out of season without the crush.  Did restaurants, pubs, shops etc stay open when you were there?


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Nov 26, 2012)

mattie said:


> Bravo.


 
Someone had to say it


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## peterkro (Nov 26, 2012)

mattie said:


> It sounds absolutely lovely, and I quite like places out of season without the crush. Did restaurants, pubs, shops etc stay open when you were there?


I'm not to sure about that,but I imagine St Mary's would have some. I'm not fond of holidaying near towns so buggered off to an island with a convenience store that was open a couple of hours a day.I loves deserted seaside towns in the winter best parts of Britain/France.


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## toggle (Nov 26, 2012)

expect it to be very, very windy.

i'd also suggest you be prepared for travel delays. the _only_ service running at this time of year is the planes and there are no flights if the weather is rancid. I listen to the travel news and it's a regular thing to be told there are no flights.

i'd stick to the mainland at this time of year. there's some spectacular spots round cornwall in stormy weather, and hopefuly (says she who is driving all over cornwal in the next few weeks) the worst of the flooding is over.


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## mattie (Nov 26, 2012)

toggle said:


> expect it to be very, very windy.
> 
> i'd also suggest you be prepared for travel delays. the _only_ service running at this time of year is the planes and there are no flights if the weather is rancid. I listen to the travel news and it's a regular thing to be told there are no flights.
> 
> i'd stick to the mainland at this time of year. there's some spectacular spots round cornwall in stormy weather, and hopefuly (says she who is driving all over cornwal in the next few weeks) the worst of the flooding is over.


 
Good point.  I went to the Tin mines on the south coast one autumn, and the wind blew so hard we almost go a free day trip to France.  Honestly, stick a few mind turbines there and global warmings' a distant memory.


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## toggle (Nov 26, 2012)

mattie said:


> Good point. I went to the Tin mines on the south coast one autumn, and the wind blew so hard we almost go a free day trip to France. Honestly, stick a few mind turbines there and global warmings' a distant memory.


 
i've had journeys in mid december that entailed my car being blown 6 foot accross the road before i had time to correct, where i didn't dare go above 40 and was going slower most of the way on the A30 and my wipers were barely able to cope. there's a good reason as to why there are no tall trees in any exposed places and the stunted trees that have survived grow at a 45 degree angle.

that said, i do love going up to a few places on the north coast or west of the lizard to see the storms, that is one of the best thigns to see down here.


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## rubbershoes (Nov 26, 2012)

toggle said:


> expect it to be very, very windy.
> 
> i'd also suggest you be prepared for travel delays. the _only_ service running at this time of year is the planes and there are no flights if the weather is rancid. I listen to the travel news and it's a regular thing to be told there are no flights.


 

Having spent two days at the heliport on St Mary's waiting for the fog to clear, I can confirm it's not the best  end to a holiday


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## toggle (Nov 26, 2012)

rubbershoes said:


> Having spent two days at the heliport on St Mary's waiting for the fog to clear, I can confirm it's not the best end to a holiday


 
and i think they ran when the planes couldn't at times. but there's no helicopter now. that ended a couple of months ago


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## mattie (Nov 26, 2012)

Any suggestions for where we might go instead?  We've all of Cornwall and Devon to shoot at.  Metaphorically.


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## toggle (Nov 26, 2012)

I'd either pick st agnes for being close to the cliffs on the north coast, or porthleven, for being a really nice little harbour viliage just the other side of the lizard. , staying anywhere truro or west and there's a lot of astoundingly beautiful and accessible spots along the coast if you don't mind adding a little more driving. I've never bothered looking at lands end, but i'd go up to cape cornwall, if you're interested in ancient stuff, there's a burrial mound a few hundred meters south, plus stone circles and viliages nearby. if you're interested in the mining history, then geevor and levant. st ives will be quiet, i'd think some places there will be closed, but not all and it won't be full.falmouth is a nice place to mooch about, but i'd not want to consider that a highlight of a holiday. but the castle there is interesting.

a ot of this depends what you're specifically into. but i'm starting with a guess of coastal, quiet and scenic and for that, my favourite bits of cornwall are the far west.

personally, i'd stay somewhere nearish to helston and then tour about a bit. it's not that big an area, so just drive down any interesting looking road and see what happens.


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## mattie (Nov 26, 2012)

toggle said:


> I'd either pick st agnes for being close to the cliffs on the north coast, or porthleven, for being a really nice little harbour viliage just the other side of the lizard. , staying anywhere truro or west and there's a lot of astoundingly beautiful and accessible spots along the coast if you don't mind adding a little more driving. I've never bothered looking at lands end, but i'd go up to cape cornwall, if you're interested in ancient stuff, there's a burrial mound a few hundred meters south, plus stone circles and viliages nearby. if you're interested in the mining history, then geevor and levant. st ives will be quiet, i'd think some places there will be closed, but not all and it won't be full.falmouth is a nice place to mooch about, but i'd not want to consider that a highlight of a holiday. but the castle there is interesting.
> 
> a ot of this depends what you're specifically into. but i'm starting with a guess of coastal, quiet and scenic and for that, my favourite bits of cornwall are the far west.
> 
> personally, i'd stay somewhere nearish to helston and then tour about a bit. it's not that big an area, so just drive down any interesting looking road and see what happens.


 
Ta, much appreciated.

We've not been to St Agnes so may give that a go.  Do you reckon it's worth booking ahead or just playing by ear?  I quite like the freedom to head wherever fate takes us, but not sure that's such a good tactic so far out of season.  We may also be able to get discount deals if we book a few nights in the same place.  I might try St Ives, maybe with St Agnes on way back.

The missus was thinking of Totnes and Dartmouth, simply to keep driving down, but we'll see if I can convince her.


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## toggle (Nov 26, 2012)

i'd book. just cause some places might be closed.and some places you can drive past them and not see them.

there are nice places in devon, i just don't know them.


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## Geri (Nov 26, 2012)

If I had a car and didn't want to go as far as Cornwall I'd probably head for Croyde/Woollacombe as I much prefer north Devon to south. South Wales is nice too around Llangennith/Rhossili (and probably other places too although those are the ones I've been to).


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## winterinmoscow (Nov 26, 2012)

i have nothing to contribute to this except to say that I would absolutely love love love to go to Scilly. Any space in your bag?


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## Ground Elder (Nov 27, 2012)

mattie said:


> Honestly, stick a few mind turbines there and global warmings' a distant memory.


Far out  Other than that what Toggle says.


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## Hocus Eye. (Nov 27, 2012)

Take a look at the news and the weather. These floods will leave the ground soaked even if the storms are over by the time you go. Travelling through Devon and Cornwall will be a nightmare. It will be like entering a war zone. If you are safe and dry at home stay there.


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## CNT36 (Nov 27, 2012)

It is a warzone. A fucking big tree blew over yesterday. Bleddy 'ell up.


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## toggle (Nov 27, 2012)

Hocus Eye. said:


> Take a look at the news and the weather. These floods will leave the ground soaked even if the storms are over by the time you go. Travelling through Devon and Cornwall will be a nightmare. It will be like entering a war zone. If you are safe and dry at home stay there.


 

looks out of the window to watch the tanks rolling down the hill into truro.


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## toggle (Nov 27, 2012)

the a30 isn't fun to do in a real storm, but it's really great driving to the exposed bits of the coast when it's getting a bit blowey.


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## mattie (Nov 27, 2012)

I'll be going mid-Dec.

Will there be any of Cornwall left by then?


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## Miss-Shelf (Nov 27, 2012)

winterinmoscow said:


> i have nothing to contribute to this except to say that I would absolutely love love love to go to Scilly. Any space in your bag?


do do do go sometime -amazing place

what about channel islands -less exposed than scilies and some lovely spots too


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## mattie (Nov 27, 2012)

Just booked National Trust cottage at Port Quin.

It's right on a sheltered cove, looks amazing, and we can drive down North Cornwall coast (it's between Tintagel and Newquay).

Scilly Isles may be in the spring, when weather a bit clearer and missus not teaching. Ta to all for advice, however.


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## Ground Elder (Nov 28, 2012)

The story of Port Quin is that the hamlet was abandoned after all the men were lost at sea during a storm in the 17th Century. Nothing there apart from a slipway, a few National Trust cottages and a small sheltered  bay, but only a mile or two from Port Isaac and just down the road from Porthemmet.


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## lizzieloo (Nov 28, 2012)

Windy and birdy


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## Hocus Eye. (Nov 28, 2012)

There is a myth promoted in Cornwall that off the tip of Lands End, under the sea, is the legendary land of Lyonesse which was submerged back in pre-history. This myth may become true, but it will be the Cornish mainland that will disappear under the sea if the current weather system doesn't change.


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## CNT36 (Nov 28, 2012)

Ground Elder said:


> The story of Port Quin is that the hamlet was abandoned after all the men were lost at sea during a storm in the 17th Century. Nothing there apart from a slipway, a few National Trust cottages and a small sheltered  bay, but only a mile or two from Port Isaac and just down the road from Porthemmet.


Porthemmet is even nice this time of year.


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## RoyReed (Nov 29, 2012)

mattie said:


> Just booked National Trust cottage at Port Quin.
> 
> It's right on a sheltered cove, looks amazing, and we can drive down North Cornwall coast (it's between Tintagel and Newquay).
> 
> Scilly Isles may be in the spring, when weather a bit clearer and missus not teaching. Ta to all for advice, however.


Port Quin is fantastic. Great bit of the coastal path in either direction. Good pubs at St Kew (5 miles), St Tudy (10 miles) and Blisland (15 miles - on the edge of Bodmin Moor).

When you go the Scilly Isles you must book. I went with a mate once without booking. It was twitchers week. We were lucky to get a bed anywhere on any of the islands.


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## fractionMan (Nov 29, 2012)

Ground Elder said:


> The story of Port Quin is that the hamlet was abandoned after all the men were lost at sea during a storm in the 17th Century. Nothing there apart from a slipway, a few National Trust cottages and a small sheltered bay, but only a mile or two from Port Isaac and just down the road from Porthemmet.


 


Me and my dad used to go snorkling there when I was a kid and I never knew that story.  Cheers.


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## Voley (Jan 19, 2014)

Just booked three days in March. Staying on St Mary's - this is very early in the season but my guesthouse owner assures there'll be a boat or two to get me to the off islands. If the weather's OK it should be great but it's a gamble. March is very early. Every inhabited island has a pub, though, so I'll cope I reckon.

Can't beat the flight in either:


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## Voley (Feb 11, 2014)

Well with the weather being what it's been of late, I've decided that March is risking three days of torrential rain too much so I've put the whole thing back till May. Bit of a bonus here in addition to a better chance of some sunshine - the boat's running from Penzance then so I can get there much cheaper than flying and I've used this to book an extra night. So best part of a week now. And I get there for the last day of the gig racing which, by all accounts, is a monstrous pissup. Win/win.


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## RoyReed (Feb 20, 2014)

Voley said:


> And I get there for the last day of the gig racing which, by all accounts, is a monstrous pissup. Win/win.


If you can, try to get on one of the boats that follows the race - and then on to the pub afterwards.


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## Voley (Feb 20, 2014)

RoyReed said:


> If you can, try to get on one of the boats that follows the race - and then on to the pub afterwards.


Yeah, that's what I was hoping for. I get there on the last day so I'm assuming it'll be the finals. Should be good.


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## RoyReed (Feb 20, 2014)

Voley said:


> Yeah, that's what I was hoping for. I get there on the last day so I'm assuming it'll be the finals. Should be good.


It's a few years since I did it, but it was really good.


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