THE OTHER ISLANDS

ST MARY’S: The archipelago’s largest (and most popular) inhabited island is home to the quay and airport and is most visitors’ first port of call. The main hub is Hugh Town, with shops, galleries and restaurants serving fresh fish.

You can cycle around the island in around four hours but the easier way to see it is leisurely by golf cart (scillycart.co). Stay within the garrison walls of the 17th-century Star Castle (doubles from £145, B&B, star-castle.co.uk).

TRESCO: The second largest of the group is still tiny — just over two miles long and one mile wide. Privately-owned, there are no cars, bikes don’t require locks and the 19thcentury tropical gardens in the ruins of a Benedictine abbey, are preened to perfection.

Book a night at the New Inn, a pub with rooms near the harbour (doubles from £175, B&B tresco.co.uk).

BRYHER: This rugged speck of an island, just over a mile at its longest stretch, is blessed with two wildly different coastlines; the wild atlantic on one side and the sheltered Tresco Channel on the other.

The Hell Bay Hotel is the ideal setting to enjoy the energetic waves crashing against the rocks (doubles from £90, B&B, hellbay.co.uk).

ST AGNES: South of St Mary’s, this one-mile wide patch of unspoilt flower fields and deserted coastline is proper getting-away-from-it-all bliss.

There’s little to do other than walk, wildlife spot or hire a kayak to explore the surrounding bays and coves. Stay in one of three self-catering cottages at Troytown Farm (from £420 per week; troytown.co.uk).