A trip to the Isles of Scilly: Bryher Itinerary

It only took 2 years post covid to finally make it over to the Isles of Scilly, the UK’s own tropical islands. If you’ve read this blog before, then you’ll be fully aware of my love for the Isles of Scilly. I’ve visited the islands before (blog post here) and was blown away by the beauty of the archipelago, in particular Bryher and Tresco, two of the most dreamy islands. Despite living in Cornwall for over 30 years, my mum had never visited the Isles of Scilly, so it only felt right to book a mumma birthday trip over to the islands.

How to get to the Isles of Scilly

In previous years I’ve jumped on the Scillonian to get to the Isles of Scilly. The Scillonian usually takes approx 2.45 hours and costs approx £70PP (prices may vary.) The Scillonian offers a unique perspective of some of Cornwall’s coastline, however, if you get bad sea sickness then it may not be for you. Unfortunately, I am one of those people, so for this trip, we decided to pay that little bit extra to get the Sky Bus. The Sky Bus departs from Lands End and takes just 20 minutes to get to St Mary’s, the largest island in the Isles of Scilly. Flying to the islands was an incredible experience - by the time you’re up in the air, it’s time to fly back down again! The Sky Bus seats about 12-20 people, but despite being such a small plane it still feels extremely safe. The islands look tropical from the air!

The Island, Bryher

In 2018 I stayed on Bryher and in 2019 I stayed on St Mary’s (read more on that here) however Bryher will always be my favourite island. St Mary’s has a lot of transport links and amenities, however, if you enjoy more of an adventure then I would suggest staying on Bryher or one of the smaller islands.

Bryher is one of the smaller inhabited islands, with a population of just 84 islanders. The island is pure magic, with a contrasting rugged coast on one side and tranquil white sandy beaches on the other. Mum and I managed to walk the entire island within a couple of hours, with time to stop and take photos - that just shows how small it is! Bryher feels like an adventurer's paradise, with many coves to explore, peaks to climb and minimal people to stumble across.

There aren’t many accommodation options on Bryher - there’s the campsite, Hell Bay Hotel or a couple of self-catering properties. Mum and I aren’t shy of a little adventure or nature so we decided to camp. Bryher Campsite must have one of the best campsite views in the world, seriously. We booked a Bell Tent, but upon reflection next time we would take our own camping gear (we have the full works at home, so why not!)

Places to Eat on Bryher, Isles of Scilly

Fraggle Rock, Bryher

Despite being one of the smallest inhabited islands, Bryher still has an incredible selection of restaurants and cafes. We spent a couple of evenings at the ‘local,’ Fraggle Rock which is about 30 meters from the campsite. Booking is recommended as the pub can get quite busy with day guests. The pub serves traditional pub classics, alongside basket bar meals.

The Crab Shack at Hell Bay Hotel

The Hell Bay Hotel is the highest-rated hotel and restaurant on the Isles of Scilly. It is also the only 3 AA Rosette Restaurant on the islands. I’ve been fortunate enough to dine at the restaurant on a previous trip (read here) however this time, we were invited to The Crab Shack. The Crab Shack is located in an old stone barn and serves top-quality Scillonian shellfish the traditional way.

Mum and I absolutely loved our experience at The Crab Shack. You’ll be seated along benches as a group, providing an opportunity for strangers to become friends, and stories about your time on the Scillies to be exchanged.

You order by choosing the size of your crab, and the oil for it to be cooked in. We had scallops to start and then a small crab to share, cooked in garlic butter. Cracking crab’s legs amongst a bunch of strangers was quite an experience, but we loved every minute of it - it really felt like we were living in that magical Bryher bubble.

Island Fish, Bryher

The lunch that we had at Island Fish has got to be one of my favourite meals during our trip to the Isles of Scilly. On the sunniest day of our trip we decided to head to Island Fish for lunch before moving onto the beach. Located seconds from the quay, Island Fish offers fresh seafood in a relaxed outside setting. I opted for the lobster and chips, and Mum had the lobster sandwich. Both were INCREDIBLE, and insane value for money (I paid something like £13 for lobster and chips!) I’ll let the photo do the talking.

Things to Do in Bryher

Bryher is all about adventure - you can spend days exploring the island and finding different beaches. If you fancy something a little different then Hut 62 is a water-sport centre where you hire kayaks, sailing boards and paddle-boards.

If you’d prefer to sit back and relax, then I highly recommend The Treatment Shed at Hell Bay Hotel which is also open to non-hotel residents. On the last day of our trip, I was invited over to The Treatment Shed to experience one of their aromatherapy massages. It was an hour-long massage focusing on relaxing muscle tension and soothing away aches, pains and stress (something at this time I needed!) “All treatments use Phoenix & Providence products inspired by Scilly’s kelp burning heritage and embodying ocean wisdom and mindful living.”

Most evenings Mum and I headed to the higher points on the island to watch the sunset. There’s nothing quite like watching the sunset from a small island in the middle of an archipelago, where you can see both north and south coasts from that one spot. Bryher is so magical - there’s little light pollution so once the sun is down, it really feels like the day is over.

This trip to the Isles of Scilly will always be a rememberable one. 5 days of exploring, laughter and a whole lot of good food alongside my best friend, Mumma T. Bryher will always hold a special place in my heart.

Disclaimer: Please note, this was part PR trip (The Crab Shack/Treatment Shed comp) however the rest of the trip was paid by myself + mum. We had a fantastic time!