StoryHistory

St Agnes: The Only Inhabited Island on Scilly Without a Hotel

St Agnes is the only inhabited island on Scilly with no hotel. Visitors stay in small B&Bs, holiday cottages or the campsite at Troytown Farm, and that keeps the whole island wonderfully quiet.

St AgnesAll year5 min read

Last checked October 2026

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St Agnes Only Inhabited Island on Scilly Without a Hotel

Every inhabited island on Scilly has at least one hotel, except St Agnes. Here you stay in a B&B, a holiday cottage or a tent on a working farm. There are no big buildings and no reception desks. For many visitors, that is exactly why they keep coming back year after year.

Key Takeaways
St Agnes is the only inhabited island on Scilly without a hotel.
Visitors stay in B&Bs, self catering cottages or at Troytown Farm campsite.
The island and Gugh had just 85 residents at the 2011 census.
Small numbers mean you should book early, especially for summer.

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Why there is no hotel

Wikipedia records that St Agnes is the only populated island on Scilly with no hotel. It is a small place. Its population fell from 243 in 1841 to a low of 63 in 1971, then rose to 85 by 2011. An island that size has room for guests, but only a few at once.

The result is an island that feels lived in, rather than run for visitors.

Where to stay on St Agnes

B&Bs and cottages

Most visitors stay in a B&B or a self catering cottage, many of them run by island families. Isles of Scilly Travel describes friendly B&Bs and cottages spread across the island. Numbers are small, so popular weeks fill up fast. Search for places on our St Agnes places to stay directory.

Troytown Farm campsite

Troytown campsite sits on a working farm on the west of the island. Islandeering lists toilets, token showers, laundry, lockers, charging points and a farm shop. The farm's cows supply the milk for its ice cream. It is about 15 minutes' walk from the quay, and luggage can be brought up.

The farm is also the southernmost settlement in the UK, according to Wikipedia. Dogs are welcome, though numbers are limited in the school holidays, so check before you book. The Troy Town maze is just along the coast, and the sunsets over the Western Rocks are hard to beat from this side of the island.

What you get instead

Without a hotel, evenings centre on the Turks Head by the quay. Isles of Scilly Travel calls it the country's most southwesterly pub. Wikipedia notes it opens through the summer, with limited nights in winter. After the Friday gig races, supporters pack in to talk over every stroke of the evening's rowing.

Days are simple. You can walk round the island in a couple of hours, cross the sandbar to Gugh, hunt for beads at Beady Pool, or visit the old lighthouse. At night there is almost no artificial light, so on clear evenings the stars put on a real show overhead.

Visiting for the day

If you are staying elsewhere on Scilly, St Agnes makes an easy day trip. Boats run from St Mary's quay most days in season and usually land at Porth Conger. Check departures and return times on Scilly Live. Our St Agnes island guide covers where to eat, what to see and how long you need.

Last checked October 2026

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