Dog-friendly Holidays on the Isles of Scilly

Perhaps Britain’s best-kept secret, the Isles of Scilly are famously dog friendly and offer a sub-tropical collection of islands just 28 miles southwest off the coast of Land’s End. Think white sandy beaches, peace, and a slow pace of life that is hard to find in today’s busy world. Isles of Scilly is a South West region like no other, but don’t just take our word for it – you have to see it to believe it.

The Isles of Scilly benefit from sitting in the path of the Gulf Stream; surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean but warmed by the North Atlantic Drift, this produces a much milder climate than the mainland. Thus, the Isles of Scilly becomes a haven for sub-tropical plants to thrive and migrating birds to rest during their travels.

There are five inhabited islands – St Martin’s, Tresco, Bryher, St. Agnes and St. Mary’s, each with its own distinctive character. Travel between the islands is made easy with regular boats sailing between them all, including to the smaller uninhabited islands where you can watch seabirds float in the breeze and seals play.

Getting to the magical kaleidoscope of crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, coves and villages is easy too. You can travel by sea aboard the Scillonian III from Penzance, or take a short 20-minute flight from Land’s End or Newquay on board the Skybus. Operated by Isles of Scilly Travel, both services welcome dogs; book them in advance, and on the Skybus they travel in a crate.

We’ve found the stays that genuinely welcome dogs, from Hell Bay on Bryher to cottages and apartments in Hugh Town on St Mary’s.