Wanderlust UK – September 2019

ISLES OF SCILLY

wanderlust.co.uk September 2019 105

Nikki. “It won’t rot like wood; it’s anti-
slip and should last at least 50 years.”
Nikki was born and bred on the
island but had studied and worked
on the mainland before being drawn
back to settle down here. “More young
people would come back but we need
more housing and more work for
them,” she explained, adding that
most residents normally don’t have
just one job. “People do what they
need to do to survive, so fishermen
may be builders in winter. They’re
used to having several jobs.”
As we reached the deserted curve of
beach at Porth Hellick, Nikki’s love of
the islands shone through. She talked
of snorkelling with rare Atlantic grey
seals, horse riding on the beaches and
hiring a boat and boatman to explore
the myriad small uninhabited islands.

“Theyarerichinhistorybutyou

needsomeonetointerpretthem

foryou,”sheexplained.

Whileundernoillusionsthat

Scillonians–aspeoplefromthe

islandsareknown–needtoworkhard

tomakealiving,Icouldseehowthey

andtheislands’manyvisitorswould

bedrawnback.OneladyImetin

aweavingworkshoponStAgnestold

methatshe’dbeencomingfor 30 years

andwasstillfindingnewthingstodo

• “Ihateleaving,”shebemoaned.
  Weturnedbacktoabirdhide
  overlookingtheisland’slargestbodyof
  freshwater.Martinsandswallows
  swoopedoveritchasinginsects,while
  aheronsatmotionlessonthefarside.
  Butmoresurprisingwasthesightof
  anexoticvisitor:adark-colouredbird
  withacurvedbeakandaniridescent
  greenishsheentoitswingsasitwaded
  theshallows.“That’saglossyibis,”
  saidNikki.“Wehadsevenhereover
  thewinterfromSouthAfrica.The
  othershavegonebutthisonemust
  havestayedbehind!”
  Justanothervisitorthatcouldn’t
  beartoleavetheislands.

The wild life

(clockwise from this) A grey

Atlantic seal pops up for

a look; a glossy ibis spreads its

wings; one of many tombs on

St Agnes; horse riding on

St Mary’s; keep an eye out for

friendly puins on clear days;

a new boardwalk on St Mary’s

made from recycled plastic;

the ‘big smoke’ of Hugh Town

⊲ Simon Chubb; Lyn Hughes; S Burbridge; http://www.philnicholls.co.uk; Alamy; Mike Harcum