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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. The Isles of Scilly are made up of more than 140 islands, five of which are inhabited. The rest are a happy haven for nesting storm petrels and manx shearwaters. Each island has a distinct and different feel: St Mary’s is the largest with its capital, Hugh Town, the administrative seat; Tresco is the well-groomed family favourite that’s been leased to the Dorrien-Smith family by the Duchy of Cornwall since 1834; then there’s wild and rugged Bryher, quaint, flower-filled St Martin's and soothingly remote St Agnes. You will have a guided tour of our distillery and see our beautiful stills, Bishop, Sir Cloudesley Shovell and Daisy, whilst learning about distillation and the history of gin. The experience starts at our Scilly Spirit Distillery in Old Town where we serve you our Island Gin and tonic.
Are there any new items or additions Scilly Spirit Distillery are going to launch, that we can buy in the coming months? Coming from such a pedigree, what could possibly make Tarquin's Hell Bay Gin any better? The answer: one of the world’s most unassuming and underrated superfoods: seaweed. Yes, it is this most humble of seashore botanicals – specifically locally foraged dulse and kombu – that lends our gin something truly unique. Having only launched last May, our Island Gin was the first that we distilled here and has been our focus, as it does take time to get any new spirit established across the drinks trade. However, having received no less than 6 international awards for this gin (in addition to the 2 awards for our bottle design!) over our first 14 months, combined with ever increasing demand – both UK and worldwide – we seem to have crafted a gin that has become a favourite for many.On Scilly, you can’t get more local produce than that which is produced on one of our five tiny inhabited islands! Wealso offer Gin Tours of the Distillery to see how we make Island Gin using our beautiful 500 litre still 'Bishop' and our 500 litre still 'Sir Cloudelsley Shovell' which is used to make our Island Whisky. Kombu is a leafy kelp with a fullbodied flavour described by Japanese cooks as umami – a pleasant savouriness quite distinct from the four standard taste sensations. Dulse is a purple-red seaweed with an exceptional, slightly spicy flavour. It is also, ironically, a popular hangover cure in Ireland. Although Tresco is owned by the Duchy, the Dorrien-Smith family have taken it over on a very long lease. The family still live in the grand house, the Abbey, beside the ruins of the original 12th-century monastery and the famous gardens, where the family’s flag flies when they’re in residence.
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.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). Of course, the more traditional gin botanicals have been used in herbal medicine for centuries. Juniper, lemon and orange naturally stimulate and enhance the mood; coriander, cardamom and cinnamon sooth and calm the mind. 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. Step onto an enchanting archipelago that is like nowhere else in England. Get active or get away from it all as you experience the simple pleasures of island life. 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.
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