Truly a sub-tropical paradise, this tiny corner of England has remained unpolluted, unspoilt and unchanged for decades. The Isles of Scilly have been described as ‘the most fortunate of all the islands around Britain’s coasts with clean seas and beaches, wonderful scenery, welcoming inhabitants, and temperate climates’. They lie just 28 miles from the Cornish coast yet bask in a balmy climate where spring comes early, autumn stays late and winter hardly exists at all.  

The wonderful Abbey Gardens on the island of Tresco are home to more than 3,000 species and magnificent vistas, colours and scents. There is certainly no other garden like this in the world. Even in winter there are 300 plants in flower in the Abbey Gardens and as each day lengthens more and more exotic flowers appear. In the spring you will see flowers here that are weeks ahead of those on the mainland, the perfect way to lift your spirits after a cold, dark winter. Autumn, too, is a stunning time to visit, with the beautiful golden, reds and ambers of the seasonal foliage against a backdrop of proteas, aloes and flowering camellias thrown in for good measure. We also enjoy Pelagic boat excursion to the Western Rocks and Bishop Rock Lighthouse with local bird expert Will Wagstaff. Other highlights include a visit to a local flower farm on the island of  St Martins where we have a guided tour,  a guided tour of a local farm Bryher followed by lunch at the 3AA Rosette restaurant of the Hell Bay hotel, the only restaurant of this caliber in the Scilly Isles.