Activities on our land

Exploring the islands

Providing safe access to explore the Isles of Scilly makes up a huge part of our work. We want everyone to be able to experience the islands, landscapes and wildlife. 

We look after around half of the land on Scilly, including most of the coastlines, uninhabited islands, wild areas and more. The map below highlights which areas are open year round, at certain times of year and which areas are off-limits year round. The island of Annet (north of St Agnes) is a seabird and seal sanctuary, and is closed to the public twelve months of the year; kayaking, boating walking, camping and all other activities are prohibited here.

There are no "rights of way" or "public footpaths" in Scilly. All paths are purely permissive, being over either freehold or tenanted land (even on the coasts and beaches). We hold what is perceived as the common land on a 99-year fully repairing and insuring lease. As such, we have the largest tenancy on the islands, at around 700ha. We cut around 50 miles (80km) of pathways every year to ensure that they stay accessible, and we encourage you to explore on using these. Please do not stray from the paths or enter people's private property, including farmland. Respecting signs and guidance ensures that we can all Keep Scilly Special.

Extensive areas managed by the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust are generally open for the sensitive enjoyment of local people and visitors, except where the needs of wildlife require restrictions. These restrictions are generally for the benefit of breeding seabirds, pupping grey seals, or just to give nature a space to thrive without human disturbance. You can pick up our 'Five walks around St Mary's' leaflet at the Tourist Information Centre on Porthcressa.

Wild Camping

Wild camping is not permitted anywhere on the Isles of Scilly, including the uninhabited islands. This is because of the risk of fire, disturbance to wildlife, damage to archaeological features & littering. There are several outstanding campsites on the islands, including St Mary's, St Martin's, Bryher and St Agnes. Book early if you'd like to stay in them, they get booked up quickly in the summer months. Areas are monitored for wild camping by several organisations.

Commercial filming and photography

If you are looking to film on our tenanted land, we do ask for a charitable donation/fee. This is to cover our staff time through this process and our vital conservation work, which minimises the impacts of visitor activities to our fragile islands. We can assist you with information and guidance on logistics, and can put you in touch with the relevant people and organisations who might be able to offer hands-on support on the day. You can see our full guidance, including on drone usage, below. You will also need to complete an Application for Access Form at least four weeks before you wish to film. Please contact us for a copy and a chat about your requirements on hello@ios-wildlifetrust.org.uk. 

BBQs, campfires and outdoor cooking

We do not recommend that you light fires, bbqs or any open flames on our wild land, especially in the summer. With a low rainfall on Scilly throughout the season, many areas can become parched. The risks of wildfires are high. This could have a detrimental impact on wildlife, human safety, property and businesses, including farmland. In times of drought, open flames, bbqs and campfires may be completely prohibited. It is at the discretion of campsite owners as to whether you can do this on their land; please check with them for information.

What to do if you find injured wildlife or spot a problem

We are not an animal hospital and cannot provide the facilities to help injured wildlife. That said, many of our staff are personally trained to assist in certain circumstances, so we still encourage you to contact us for assistance or see our guidance here. We will at least be able to provide support and point you in the right direction, or pass messages on to the relevant people. If you spot a problem or you are worried about an activity taking place on our land, please do contact us. 

Helping injured wildlife

Film, photography and drone usage

If you are looking to film on our tenanted land, we do ask for a charitable donation/fee. This is to cover our staff time through this process and our vital conservation work, which minimises the impacts of visitor activities to our fragile islands. We can assist you with information and guidance on logistics, and can put you in touch with the relevant people and organisations who might be able to offer hands-on support on the day. We also ask that the "Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust" is included in any credits on screen. We recommend the following donation amounts (minimum):

Use of drones

• In recent years drones have become more popular, both commercially and privately. Drones have a place in scientific research and some publicity, but uses outside of these legitimate reasons could become problematic. It is therefore important that drone users on Scilly have the required licences/insurances, seek the correct permissions and follow the legislation in place before commencing flying and recording.
• Seek tenant/landowners permission before flying 
  In relation to our land, there are many reasons why you must seek permission before using drones. Restrictions may be in place as a result of designations, breeding seabirds, breeding seals, work that is taking place, etc. If you are unsure who the tenant/landowner is, please do get in touch and we can point you in the right direction.
• Obtain clearance from Air Traffic Control before flying 
  Drone users need clearance from Air Traffic Control regardless of whether they are flying in or out of the restricted zone (as identified on the Council of the Isles of Scilly website). The Isles of Scilly has a busy airspace with condensed flying operations taking place both at the airport and surrounding Islands, which can include military, Search & Rescue and HEMS Helicopter flights. It is therefore important that ALL drone operators intending to fly outside of the Restricted Airspace still contact ATC with their location, timings with altitudes so that Air Traffic Control can inform all aircraft in the vicinity. More details regarding how to do this can be found on the Council Website.