Tresco Island
Tresco Island
Tresco is the second largest of Scilly’s inhabited islands and is leased in its entirety by the Dorrien-Smith family, who have cared for the island since 1834. Today, Tresco is an idyllic setting for a peaceful holiday escape. With unspoilt sandy beaches, clear azure waters and exotic gardens, as well as award-winning accommodation, three unique eateries, a spa and an art gallery.
Every part of the Isles of Scilly is a gem, but nowhere glitters more than Tresco, from its wild northern slopes covered with salt-cropped heathland to Appletree Bank’s sumptuous dunes, with Great Pool, Abbey Pool and the world-renowned Abbey Gardens in between. All of the island is in the enduring care of the Tresco Estate, but the Estate has long had an involvement in the Wildlife Trust, as a donor and partner. The origins of the Wildlife Trust goes back to 1980s discussions between Prince Charles and the Estate’s Robert Dorrien-Smith, with Robert being the first Chairman of the Trust at its 1985 inception.CEO, Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust
Tresco is an idyllic setting for a peaceful holiday escape. With unspoilt sandy beaches, clear azure waters and exotic gardens, as well as award-winning accommodation, several unique eateries, a spa and an art gallery. Tresco's extraordinary and beautiful natural environment has been protected, preserved and enhanced by the stewardship of the Dorrien-Smith family for nearly two centuries. Today, the island is at the forefront of ecotourism on the Isles of Scilly.
From the rugged north end to the subtropical Abbey Garden, lush pastures to golden beaches, this diverse and beautiful island is managed entirely by Tresco's own team of farmers, groundsmen, gardeners, rangers and woodsmen. Much of the island is given over to farmland, with around 160 acres of pasture grazed by their beef herd from Tresco Farm, which has Red Tractor recognition for stewardship and animal welfare.
Tresco is one of the key funding partners of the Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and a major supporter of the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust. They also work closely with groups such as the RSPB and Natural England to protect our wildlife and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
For decades, Tresco has proudly led the way with recycling on Scilly. Glass is crushed on-island and used as an aggregate, whilst metal, paper and cardboard are sent to the mainland for recycling and used cooking oil is recycled into BioDiesel. Residual waste is sent to a mainland waste-to-energy plant.
Recent support from the European Regional Development Fund has enabled them to construct a new Recycling Hub to increase recycling rates and efficiency, as well as purchase a Biodigester that transforms our island food waste into a soil enhancer, which can be purchased at the Garden Visitor Centre.
Tresco Island is always looking at ways to reduce our use of plastics. Tresco Stores has been plastic bag free for over a decade, uses biodegradable packaging in the Deli, buys loose fruit and veg wherever possible and stocks drinks in cans or glass bottles only. They are also the first island on Scilly to be completely plastic straw free in our restaurants and shop, and they encourage the use of refillable water bottles with five free refill points across the island.
All plates, glasses and cutlery used at outdoor events, such as the Low Tide Event, are either reusable stock from their restaurants or are biodegradable or fully recyclable. Extensive litter checks following these events ensure they leave nothing behind, and islanders regularly take part in organised or informal beach cleans.
As a member of the 10:10 Campaign, Tresco Island is working hard to reduce their carbon emissions across the island.
All their construction projects now have energy-saving measures at their heart, including air source heat pumps in the Sea Garden Cottages, heat exchangers in their swimming pools and solar panels at the Flying Boat Cafe & Deli. The traditional cottages have benefitted from insulation upgrades to reduce energy consumption.
The absence of cars on Tresco creates a safe, peaceful and refreshing environment and further reduces our emissions. Only a handful of tractors and service vehicles ply the island’s lanes and tracks, many of which are electric vehicles.
Our new Transport Shuttles are all-electric, and we're gradually updating the rest of our vehicle fleet to match. Golf buggies or mobility scooters can be hired, as well as bicycles. Tresco is one of the key partners in the Smart Islands project – a major programme that aims to move Scilly to a low-carbon future, developing technology and solutions that could be scaled up for use elsewhere in the future.
