Bryher was definitely up there as one of my favourite islands in the Isles of Scilly. Being the least inhabited made it feel even more private. I said in a previous post that I loved the islands due to their private nature and Bryher very much aligned with this description. Something about Bryher felt so unique that I can’t really pinpoint exactly what it was. Perhaps the untrodden paths or the homemade essence seen in all the stalls made it something but I really can’t put my finger on it.
One of my favourite parts of this island was the homemade produce being sold outside
farms and houses. From fresh vegetables and plants to homemade jam and washbags, there just seemed to be such a range of talent on this tiny island. Hillside Farm had one of my absolute favourite stalls, selling a variety of fruits and veg, eggs, jam, flowers and even little handmade brooches created by the farm’s young daughters for charity.
It was honestly hard to resist buying everything. We decided on getting some strawberry jam to have with our breakfast and would have definitely bought more if we weren’t going home the next day!
Other great stalls included Dawn Vue, which sold vegetables, flower bulbs and eggs but also had various succulent plants for sale. I’ve mentioned elsewhere in The Scilly Fisles about the abundance of succulent plants on the islands, they almost appear to grow like weeds. I’ve recently got very into these plants (is that sad for someone my age?) so I was excited to see them everywhere and got very close to buying one. If I didn’t have to carry it through an almost three-hour ferry and then 6 hours of trains, I might have.
Something I did go mad for though was the Veronica Farm fudge stall. I had already heard about this fudge before we arrived on the island and sought out the stall specifically to satiate my desire for fudge.
We weren’t disappointed. The stall had various flavours of fudge, including Scilly sea salt, whisky stem ginger and vanilla. Naturally, I chose a packet of vanilla and the more adventurous millionaire’s shortbread flavour. It was so delicious, rich and crumbly. Although it’s difficult to eat more than one piece at a time, it was well worth buying.
Richard Pearce’s amazing boathouse turned art gallery was one of the most magical finds on the island. I loved the rustic nature of this place. The art hung freely from the walls and created such a natural vibe in the gallery. We pondered around this shop for a while, the painter had gone out for a bit so we viewed the paintings in awe in our own time. We purchased a small card, left the money on the desk and then headed off.
Before we returned home a quick pop into Island Fish was necessary. On our sea safari from St Mary’s we had paused for a couple of minutes at the boat of a fisherman named Seamus, a young guy whose family run a fishing business called Island Fish. We were shown his fresh lobster and crab catches which were amazing, so I was keen to get to the shop and buy some fish.
A very affordable lobster roll had my name on it. At £4.50, this made a great lunch for the following day and was already packaged up in clingfilm, perfect to be stored or instantly eaten. They were also selling whole lobster and crab, crab tarts, lobster salad and dressed crab. It looked like a fantastic array of fresh fish.
One thing I would recommend trying if you’re on the island for long enough and the weather is favourable is to hire some watersport equipment. We were tempted to try paddleboarding but sadly the weather was just not warm enough! There are two boatyards on the island though so if you’re interested definitely check these out.
Bryher has an amazing selection of homemade produce, untrodden walks and desirable privacy so it really is up there as one of my favourite islands. Whilst there aren’t many ‘attractions’, it has such a special feel to it that I fell in love with.
Bryher:
- Visit for: Walks, food, privacy.
- Check out: Hillside Farm, Veronica Farm Fudge, Richard Pearce’s gallery.
- Eat: Island Fish, Veronica Farm fudge, Hillside Farm jam.
Up next: St Agnes!
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I’ve just returned from an incredible trip to the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago just to the South-West of England. I ventured to the Isles because I decided to holiday in England this year rather than going abroad. Yet I can say with complete certainty that Scilly almost felt like a holiday abroad: the diverse landscapes on each of the islands felt so foreign to Britain, whilst the gorgeously clear blue sea seemed was too beautiful to be comparable to the murky water around the mainland. In general, the islands simply felt exotic whilst also retaining the English comforts one appreciates when away from home (such as the language and customs!).
An important part of the islands is travel. You can either take the plane or ferry to Scilly, with air travel taking 15 minutes and costing around £80 each way and sea travel taking 2 hours and 45 minutes at £99 for a return. We decided on the cheaper ferry option and the journey was long but had beautiful sea views.
but unfortunately very noisy. Our first room, number 2, had fantastic views to the harbour but was on the road so the night was loud and when the window was closed it was too hot! On our last night, we were in room 14 which was at the back but had a tremendously loud water machine. I have no idea what it was: it was behind the wall but whenever we used the water or a room nearby did, these loud generator-like noises rumbled through our room so made sleep difficult. Regardless, the location was great as it was next to the train station and a ten-minute walk from the ferry.
We stayed on St Mary’s at number 8 Buzza Street. Centrally located and a perfectly tiny cottage for two, we were very happy with our accommodation and found it easy to venture to the other islands from our home for the week. We didn’t get wifi or signal – the islands are notoriously bad for phone reception – but ultimately we found it made our holiday that little bit more like a quiet retreat from civilisation.
The Girl In The Window 