St Martin's
The northernmost inhabited island: two miles of white beaches, flower fields and heath, with a red and white daymark at the far end and some of the darkest skies in England.
Three hamlets and a lot of sand
St Martin's runs east to west for two miles, with Lower Town, Middle Town and Higher Town strung along one lane. Boats come in at Higher Town Quay at high tide and the Hotel Quay in Lower Town at low tide, about a mile apart, so listen to where the boatman says the return boat leaves.
The north coast is heath and granite with Great Bay in the middle of it; the south is a run of beaches, Lawrence’s Bay and Par Beach, looking over the flats to St Mary’s and the Eastern Isles. At the east end stands the Daymark, built in 1683 and visible from Land’s End.
Getting to St Martin's
By boat only, from St Mary’s quay. Where you land depends on the tide.
Boats leave St Mary’s quay through the day in season, run by the Boatmen’s Association.
- Crossing
- About 25 minutes
- Lands at
- Higher Town at high tide, Lower Town at low
- Tickets
- Kiosks on the quay, or on board
You will rarely be picked up where you were dropped off, so check before you wander.
- Higher Town
- High-tide quay, by Par Beach
- Lower Town
- Low-tide Hotel Quay
- Walk between
- About 30 minutes
Coming by Scillonian or Skybus, you land on St Mary’s and take the boat across. Hosts usually meet the boat for bags.
- Luggage
- Met at the quay
- Tell them
- Your boat time
Twenty-one places worth the walk
Lower Town Quay
The Hotel Quay, used at low tide, facing Teän Sound. The hotel and the Seven Stones are a couple of minutes away.
Beaches on St Martin's
Whatever the wind, one side of the island is sheltered. The south beaches face the Eastern Isles; Great Bay faces the open sea.
Dogs: Every beach on St Martin's is open to dogs all year. Leads in the marked seabird areas from April to September. Dogs on Scilly →
A long white beach on the north coast, backed by heath and often empty. The one people come back for.
20 min from Higher TownBeach guide→Par BeachDunes, clear water and the Eastern Isles offshore, running east from Higher Town Quay.
At Higher Town QuayBeach guide→Lawrence’s BayShallow and sheltered on the south side, with sand flats at low tide.
10 min from Lower TownBeach guide→Little BayA small north-coast cove below Top Rock Hill, facing White Island.
25 min from Lower TownBeach guide→Per PitchThe quiet east end of the south coast, on the way to the Daymark.
20 min from Higher TownBeach guide→White IslandAcross the causeway at low tide: rock, heath and seabirds rather than sand. Check the tide before you go.
At low water onlyBeach guide→Walks worth doing
One lane, two miles, and paths off it to every beach and headland.
The whole coast: Lower Town, the north heath and Great Bay, the Daymark, then back along Par Beach and Lawrence’s Bay.
Along the lane and up onto St Martin’s Head for the beacon and the view to Land’s End.
Across the causeway from Top Rock Hill. Go on a falling tide and come back in good time.
Lower Town Quay to Higher Town Quay along Lawrence’s Bay and Par Beach, catching whichever boat is running.
Things to do on St Martin's
Guided walk · 5.7 milesSt Martin’s circular: Higher Town, Daymark, Great Bay, Lower Town and Par Beach
A guided walk on St Martin's with 8 stops, about 5.7 miles (9.2 km). Your phone takes you round and tells you about each stop as you reach it.
SS Longships: Christmas on the Seven Stones
Just before Christmas 1939 the Glasgow coaster Longships struck the Seven Stones reef. The St Mary's lifeboat saved all her crew, and the ship broke in two a week later.
SS King Cadwallon: Fog on the Hard Lewis Rocks
In July 1906 the coal steamer King Cadwallon struck Hard Lewis Rocks off St Martin's in fog. Her crew rowed clear before she slid into deep water.
Earl of Arran: The Packet Steamer on Nornour
In July 1872 the Penzance packet Earl of Arran tried a shortcut through the Eastern Isles, struck a ledge and was beached on Nornour. Everyone was saved, and her boilers are still there.
Wildlife
Protected heath, clear water and the seal colonies of the Eastern Isles offshore.
St Martin’s Diving Services runs three-hour trips to the grey seals, with all kit provided and an instructor in the water. Minimum age 8.
The Eastern Isles hold breeding shags, cormorants, fulmars, razorbills and puffins.
A protected site of waved maritime heath and grassland, with breeding seabirds.
The north heath flowers yellow and purple, the gorse smells of coconut, and kestrels and peregrines hunt the updraft.
Where to eat
A pub, a hotel restaurant, a bakery, cafés, a tea garden, fish and chips and a vineyard. Book evenings in summer.
The island’s only pub, serving lunch and dinner on a terrace over Teän Sound and Tresco.
Waterfront dining and a wine lounge at the island’s four-star hotel by the Lower Town quay. Booking advised.
Bread, pasties, filled rolls and cakes baked daily in season, plus takeaway pizzas.
Farm café with picnic benches over Par Beach. Open 10.30 to 4, Tuesday to Saturday, with a Monday pizza night.
Cream teas and cakes in a garden and glasshouse, a tea room since the 1950s. Open May to September.
Locally caught fish and home-grown potato chips, open up to four days a week in summer.
Tours and tastings of wine grown on the island since 1996.
Shop, off licence and post office. Orders can be delivered to your accommodation before you arrive.
St Martin’s in pictures
What St Martin's is known for
From Bronze Age graves to a beacon you can see from Cornwall
Burial cairns on the hills, including Cruther’s Hill, and entrance graves on White Island.
The remains of a medieval chapel, and a stone with what looks like a carved face, found here in 1989.
Built by Thomas Ekins, the Godolphins’ steward. The door wrongly says 1637. It was painted white until 1822.
The Methodist chapel dates from about 1845. The parish church was rebuilt in 1866 after lightning damage. Both are in Higher Town.
Her captain mistook the then-white Daymark for St Agnes lighthouse and she was driven onto the rocks beneath it.
The night sky is rated Bortle class 1, among the best places in England to see the Milky Way.
Shipwrecks off St Martin's
5 wrecks on our map lie off St Martin's.
Palinurus
Lion Rock (also written Leon Rock) off the north coast of St Martin's, near White Island
Lives lost 17
SS Aksai
White Island, off the north coast of St Martin's
Lives lost None recorded
SS King Cadwallon
Hard Lewis Rocks, east of St Martin's
Lives lost None recorded
Annie F. Conlon
Attacked 12 to 15 miles SE of St Mary's; capsized in Crow Sound; beached west St Martin's
Lives lost None recorded
The island year
Flowers in winter, beaches in summer, and the darkest skies once the evenings draw in.
Scented narcissi are grown and sent from the small hedged fields.
Boat and snorkelling trips to the Eastern Isles for grey seals and nesting seabirds.
Boats every day and the beaches at their best. Book the pub, hotel and campsite early.
Longer nights at the COSMOS Observatory under some of England’s darkest skies.
Getting around the island
There are no cars to hire. The lane runs the length of the island and everything is on foot.
The two quays are about a mile apart. Lower Town to Higher Town is around half an hour.
Higher Town Quay at high tide, the Hotel Quay at Lower Town at low tide. Check which one your return boat uses.
Hosts and the hotel usually meet boats for bags. Tell them your boat time.
St Martin’s Watersports, at Par Beach opposite Higher Town Quay, hires kayaks, paddleboards and snorkel sets.
Practical basics
The unglamorous things worth knowing before you land.
St Martin’s Stores and Post Office in Higher Town, with delivery to accommodation.
Fay Page’s silver jewellery workshop in Lower Town, and North Farm Gallery next to the bakery in Higher Town.
Galleries and makers on St Martin's →There are no street lights. Bring a torch, and look up.
White Island is only reachable at low water. Check the tide before crossing.
Today's tide times →Where to stay
One hotel, a guest house, a campsite and a good choice of farm cottages and chalets. Summer books up early.
A four-star hotel by the Lower Town quay with 30 sea-view rooms and suites, a restaurant and a spa.
A family-run B&B with three rooms in a garden setting near Par Beach, with evening meals three nights a week.
Granite cottages, farmhouses and chalets, some on working flower farms.
A moment’s walk from the Lower Town quay, the pub and Lawrence’s Bay.
Getting about with limited mobility
The lane is mostly level; the north coast and the Daymark are not. The quays depend on the tide.
A single lane joins Lower, Middle and Higher Town, mostly firm and level.
Landings change with the tide and can involve steps. Talk to the boatmen before you set off.
Par Beach is right by Higher Town Quay. Great Bay and the Daymark involve rougher paths and slopes.
There is no island transport for visitors. Ask your accommodation about help with bags.
If you only have a day
Planned around the boat from St Mary’s, out mid-morning and back mid to late afternoon
The two best beaches on one island.
Boat from St Mary’s
Pasties from the Island Bakery
Par Beach
Over the hill to Great Bay
Back to the quay for the return boat
Heath, history and a glass of island wine.
Land at Higher Town
Up to the Daymark on St Martin’s Head
Little Arthur Café
Vineyard tour and tasting
Swim at Par Beach before the boat
Best on a morning low tide.
Land at Lower Town Quay
Across the causeway to White Island
The Seven Stones Inn
Lawrence’s Bay
Boat back from whichever quay is running
Times are the usual pattern rather than a promise. Check the board on the quay for the day's boats, and the operator for your flight.
Common questions
Asked most often about St Martin's: boats, beaches and the Daymark.
How do I get to St Martin's?+
By boat from St Mary’s quay, about 25 minutes. Boats land at Higher Town Quay at high tide and the Hotel Quay in Lower Town at low tide.
Which quay will my boat leave from?+
It depends on the tide, and the quays are a mile apart. Listen to the boatman on the way in and check the board before you set off exploring.
Can I walk to White Island?+
Yes, across a tidal causeway at low water. Check the tide times and come back well before the tide turns.
What is the Daymark?+
A red and white beacon built in 1683 to guide ships, the earliest surviving dated beacon in the British Isles. It stands on the island’s highest point.
Is it good for stargazing?+
Very. The island’s night sky is rated Bortle class 1, and there is a community observatory between Middle Town and Higher Town.
Ready to leave St Martin's?
For the other islands, you will usually go back through St Mary’s.