When Prince William became the new Prince of Wales last year, the title wasn’t his only acquisition from the new monarch.
His father King Charles also handed over the 130,000-acre Duchy of Cornwall to his eldest son, making the 41-year-old the biggest private landowner in Britain, with a £1.2 billion holding across 23 counties.
Among the assets in his impressive portfolio are farms, housing developments, seven castles, woodland, coastlines and commercial property.
But also became the owner of some 200 Scilly Islands and rocks off the Cornish coast, including almost a third of the homes on the five inhabited isles of St Mary’s, Tresco, St Martin’s, St Agnes and Bryher.
They may look look like a tropical paradise, but the Isles of Scilly are located 28 miles off the Cornish coast (pictured: Neptune’s Steps at Tresco Abbey Gardens)
Tresco (pictured) is probably the most famous and the most manicured of the five inhabited islands – though it is smaller than St Mary’s
The Isles of Scilly is owned by the Prince of Wales, who has holidayed there with his family (pictured: Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Louis, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte holidaying on Tresco in 2020)
The archipelago, located just 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall, has been described as Britain’s answer to the Maldives, thanks to islands’ talcum-powder-white sand and crystal clear blue water.
They can be reached by boat – the Scillonian III ferry which takes almost three hours to travel through the choppy waters from Penzance – or by helicopter.
Those planning to fly can get helicopter from Penzance to the islands of St Mary’s or Tresco in a just 15 minutes.
Alternatively, flying by plane will take you to St Mary’s, which is the largest of the islands (though still tiny at just three miles long and one mile wide).
From there, boats can ferry you to the other islands, which have only around 5,000 tourist beds in total, and so never seem crowded.
This makes them the perfect getaway for those seeking isolated walks, cycling routes, quiet pubs and beaches.
Travellers to the isles would be in elevated company.
Prince William, whose Duchy is paid a single daffodil a year by the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, has holidayed on Tresco on several occasions.
As a youngster, he was pictured during a trip there in 1989 with Princess Diana, Prince Charles and his brother Prince Harry.
Appletree Bay (pictured) is one of Tresco’s idyllic beaches, boasting icing sugar white sand and crystal waters
The archipelago is located just 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall. Holidayers can travel to the islands via boat, helicopter, or plane
A photograph from the break captured a seven-year-old William as he prepared for a bike ride alongside his family, with Diana seen standing behind him in a fuchsia jumper.
Since then, he has returned with his wife Kate, and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
In 2016, William and Kate took a short trip to Tresco, prompting the prince to pledge he would return soon.
During 2020’s pandemic, the family of five opted for a staycation to help the UK’s travel industry, spending a week in July on Tresco in the six-bedroom Dolphin House, then owned by Charles.
And they reportedly returned to the Isles of Scilly in October for a week, before holidaying there the next year too.
However, many may find St Mary’s a good place to start.
Described as looking like a seaside town out of the 1940s, the island’s main street is packed with tiny independent shops, cafes, and galleries.
And art is a key focus, with holidaymakers able to source local art and ceramic pieces at the Phoenix Craft Workshops.
The coastline offers a picturesque walk, with sheltered coves and rocky crevices, and fields of wild flowers dotting the landscape. Walking inland will bring you to the gardens at Carreg Dhu.
Those spending a night or more on St Mary’s could stay at the Star Castle Hotel, on the highest point of the island.
Just wandering through the picturesque St Mary’s will make you feel you’ve been transported to the past
The Star Castle Hotel (pictured) is a 16th century hotel on St Mary’s, offering modern touches like its heated swimming pool and tennis courts
The gardens at Carreg Dhu (pictured) in the centre of St Mary’s offer picturesque exploration for holidaymakers
It may date back to the 16th century, but offers modern touches including a heated swimming pool and tennis courts.
Island hopping is the best way to get to know the Scillies, and tripper boats which take around 15-20 minutes to reach their various destinations, offer an opportunity to do just that.
While Tresco isn’t the largest of the five inhabited islands, it is considered the most manicured.
There are a host of activities to enjoy, from crabbing on the idyllic beaches to enjoying a bike ride, or simply meandering through the winding lanes, the blue waters always in sight.
Green Porth beach on the island of Tresco (pictured) shows the best of the island – with icing sugar sand and turquoise waters
The clear waters at Pentle Bay, Tresco (pictured) look like they could belong in a far-flung exotic location
The subtropical Tresco Abbey Garden (pictured) on the south side of Tresco, can be found within the ruins of a Benedictine priory
Tresco Abbey Garden (pictured) is packed with tropical-looking plants, including towering palms and oversized succulents
The Prince and Princess of Wales with sons Prince William, right, and Prince Harry go cycling during a 1989 holiday to Tresco
Prince William (pictured, right) and his wife Kate Middleton (pictured, left) visited Tresco for a quick trip in September 2016
The subtropical Tresco Abbey Garden, found within the ruins of a Benedictine priory, is located in the south of the island.
It boasts towering palms from New Zealand, housing red squirrels, and colourful oversized succulents.
And the garden is also home to the Valhalla Museum, which has on show a collection of figureheads collected from shipwrecks around the islands.
Just wandering through the garden offers up a host of interesting sights, from a carved head of Neptune sitting at the top of crumbling granite steps to a pretty shell grotto.
And when you work up an appetite, wood-fired pizzas, seafood platters and crab linguine are on the menu at the seaside Ruin Beach Cafe.
While the entire archipelago offers show stopping views, St Martin’s is particularly known for its impressive scenery.
It is just a 20-minute walk from the quay to its finest beaches at Great Bay and Little Bay, on the east of the island, where you can take in the magnificent blue water.
It is a tranquil place, with a slow pace of life, boasting a single hotel (called Karma), a handful of cottages and just one shop.
St Martin’s on the Isles of Scilly (seen from the air) is particularly well known for its impressive scenery
The bar area at St Martin’s Karma – the only hotel on the island, which also has only one shop, and a handful of cottages
Star-gazing at Cosmos, St Martin’s community observatory, is one of the best activities on offer on the tiny island
St Agnes (pictured) is another of the five inhabited islands, and like the others, offers attractive beaches
Royal favourite: The then Duchess of Cornwall and Prince of Wales visit St Agnes Island in July 2015
Bryher (pictured looking out from Tresco) is the smallest of the inhabited islands, but worth a visit thanks to its rugged scenery
Taking a refreshing dip in the sea, or enjoying a quiet stroll are enjoyable ways to spend the time, but one of the best activities on St Martin’s is star-gazing at Cosmos, the island’s community observatory.
Meanwhile, St Agnes offers attractive beaches – Periglis Beach is a top spot for wandering. You can even walk to the tiny island of Gugh if you wait for low tide.
The smallest of the inhabited islands is Bryher, but its size does not mean it isn’t worth a visit.
Its rugged scenery and secluded windswept beaches are certainly worth a trip, as its its Hamptons-style clapper-board hotel Hell Bay.
The crashing waves of the Atlantic will lull you into a deep sleep, before you wake refreshed for another day of island hopping.
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