England

St Mary's (Isles of Scilly)

The largest of the subtropical-feeling Isles of Scilly, 28 miles south-west of Land's End.

Open on the map →
St Mary's (Isles of Scilly)

Part of the England islands map and the Isles of Scilly collection.

Names

English: St Mary's; Scottish Gaelic: Ennor; Welsh: Ynys Ennor, Ynysoedd Syllan; Cornish: Ennor

Geography

Granite island fringed by white-sand beaches. The Scillies as a whole enjoy one of the mildest climates in the British Isles.

Geology

Bedrock: Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Carboniferous To Permian (Felsic-Rock), Carboniferous–Permian. Superficial deposits: Alluvium (Clay (Undifferentiated) And Silt (Undifferentiated) And Sand(Undifferentiated)). Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026, licensed under the BGS Open Data Licence (OGL v3.0). Source: BGS DigMapGB-625 Bedrock & Superficial WMS.

History

Inhabited since the Bronze Age, with hundreds of chambered cairns. The Civil War saw Royalist holdouts here until 1651.

How to reach it

Scillonian III ferry from Penzance, plus Skybus flights from Land's End, Newquay and Exeter to St Mary's Airport.

Accommodation

Hotels in Hugh Town, plus campsites, B&Bs and cottages. The other inhabited islands have their own accommodation.

Nearby and related islands

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-08-13.