Having only launched last May, our Island Gin was the first that we distilled here and has been our focus, as it does take time to get any new spirit established across the drinks trade. However, having received no less than 6 international awards for this gin (in addition to the 2 awards for our bottle design!) over our first 14 months, combined with ever increasing demand – both UK and worldwide – we seem to have crafted a gin that has become a favourite for many. Beyond food and art, St. Mary’s, and Hugh Town in particular, offers the most options when it comes to retail therapy, with a range of clothing shops, gift shops, newsagent and the like. Hugh Town retains its traditional high street feel with a post office, newsagent, butcher, hardware store and a deli, as well as souvenir shops, clothing stores and Co-Op. Amongst all that is Steamship House, offices for Isles of Scilly Travel where you should go if you have any queries regarding your travel plans.

Step onto an enchanting archipelago that is like nowhere else in England. Get active or get away from it all as you experience the simple pleasures of island life. The gin is distilled using a closed cooling system – the botanicals, once spent, are composted and the result is sold with donations going to Cornwall Air Ambulance and the RNLI.Head to the secluded Great Par beach to find the gallery of local artist Richard Pearce, inside a renovated gig shed, where he paints magical Scilly seascapes all day, every day. Stop in the shallows for a spot of shrimping or starfish spotting. If you’re up for a proper Famous Five adventure, hire a kayak from the Bennett Boatyard and make your way across the water to the twin-peak uninhabited island of Samson. The last families, by then subsisting on a diet of little more than limpets and potatoes, moved away in 1855, and now all that’s left is the crumbling remains of their tiny stone cottages, the roofs and most of the walls long collapsed. The views from Samson, out across the archipelago, are astonishing. Just across the way is 49 Degrees whose IOS brand has become synonymous with Scilly. You’ll see that famous crossed oars logo on colourful hoodies and T-shirts everywhere on the islands. The name comes from 49.55N 6.19W – the map reference for St. Mary’s Quay.

Above all, Scilly gives you the space and freedom to do everything – or next to nothing – in a breathtaking location that enjoys the mildest climate in the UK. The sea air, clean seas and mild weather also provide the additional secret ingredients to local fare - including lobster, tender island-reared beef, freshest vegetables and melt-in-the mouth ice-creams. Enjoy our cafes and restaurants; explore our local stores and farm stalls. Kombu is a leafy kelp with a fullbodied flavour described by Japanese cooks as umami – a pleasant savouriness quite distinct from the four standard taste sensations. Dulse is a purple-red seaweed with an exceptional, slightly spicy flavour. It is also, ironically, a popular hangover cure in Ireland. The imbiber will not only benefit from a deliciously different gin but seaweed is, of course, one of the most powerful superfoods on the planet with the highest number of vitamins and minerals of any food group. So what are these superfoods that have extracted so much goodness from the ocean, ready to impart it so delicately into this superb spirit?

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The Scilly adventure continues as you hop from island to island by boat, experiencing many natural wonders – basking sharks, seals, dolphins and a multitude of rare birds. Some visitors crave the deep sense of tradition here, immersing themselves in history and myth. Others come to walk, to cycle, to sail or to enjoy the heightened creativity of island life through painting, photography or crafts. Many love to lose themselves in the sights and scents of the sub-tropical plants and flowers that give Scilly its distinctive landscape; and everyone can savour the flavour of fresh seafood in beachside cafés and local ales at a traditional pub. My father always said that the good thing about sailing is when it stops – perhaps what he really meant was the relief at arriving to a cosy pub …

On the most south-westerly edge of the Isles of Scilly, St. Agnes is totally unspoilt and astonishingly peaceful. It measures just a mile or so across, and its closest neighbour is Gugh, to which it is joined by a sand bar at low tide.The experience starts at our Scilly Spirit Distillery in Old Town where we serve you our Island Gin and tonic.