Skip to main content

We can help you book your perfect break to Tresco. We all live here, so it's our specialist subject!

Call us on +44 (0)1720 422 849 or email us.

By Helicopter - Direct to Tresco

By Helicopter - Direct to Tresco

Fly direct to Tresco with Penzance Helicopters - making the flight to the Isles of Scilly as memorable as the destination

Before you Arrive

Before you Arrive

Our pre-arrival checklist - from letting us know your travel plans to ordering your wine and groceries

Tresco Islandshare

Tresco Islandshare

Own a piece of this unique island, with 40 years of holidays on Tresco as more than just a visitor. Discover Islandshares for sale...

Tresco Offers & Breaks

Tresco Offers & Breaks

From seasonal escapes to wellness and creative breaks and last-minute offers, discover our latest offers & breaks on Tresco Island

Eating

Eating

From beachfront dining to our cosy inn, get a taste for island-inspired dining with a Tresco twist

Grocery

Grocery

Place a pre-arrival grocery order and we'll deliver to your accommodation on your arrival

Events & Experiences

Events & Experiences

From the Low Tide Event to live music, Abbey Garden Theatre and more, discover extraordinary events on the Isles of Scilly

Day Trips to Tresco

Day Trips to Tresco

Whether you're coming from elsewhere on Scilly, or further afield in Devon or Cornwall, a day trip to Tresco is the perfect day out

Inspiring the Aspiring

“Over there!” calls Theo Crutchley-Mack as he scans the horizon.

I wonder what has caught the young artist’s eye as I follow him over the bow of a jet boat, jumping the last few feet and sinking into the soft white sand of Samson.

Laden with easel, chair, canvas, paint, brushes and provisions for a day’s drawing, Theo sets off apace through the rushes at the top of the beach, striding over the bouncing heather and russet bracken into the heart of the island. I follow, still wondering what has caught his attention. Perhaps a stunning vista or white sand beach?

"Beautiful vistas are lovely, but not really for me"


Not Theo. We arrive at one of Samson’s ruined cottages, abandoned along with the rest of the island in the 19th century when the islanders were driven from the shores of Samson by hunger. Theo’s face lights up at the sight of the decaying ruin. It’s as far from a classic romantic seascape and dreamy views as you can get. They’re not really his thing.

“Just look at this cottage,” he enthuses. “The textures are incredible with the crumbling stonework. It’s beautiful. The other day I was down at Carn Near painting the quay jutting out into the sea, surrounded by giant boulders thrown there by wind and waves. I even found the old road concrete mixers the other day. They’re all rusting now so they’re really striking. I’d rather paint those than a pretty landscape any day. Beautiful vistas are lovely, but they’re not really for me.”

There’s no artistic license here. Theo paints things as they are: rust, decay and all. His work is totally unique, which is why it caught the eye of Robert and Lucy Dorrien-Smith.

"An extraordinary presence"


Lucy explains: “I first saw Theo’s work when he visited Tresco as a student on Falmouth University’s Drawing course. At the end of the week drawing on Tresco the students showed me their sketchbooks. His work had an extraordinary presence about it. I knew he was going to go far as an artist.

“Three years later, Theo’s work was exhibited at the Falmouth Graduation show. There are so many talented artists emerging from Falmouth University in all disciplines it’s difficult to choose one whose work stands out from the rest, but Theo’s undoubtedly does. That’s why we made him the first winner of the Tresco Prize for Drawing.”

As well as travel and accommodation for a month as Artist in Residence on Tresco, Theo’s work will be included in a mixed exhibition at Gallery Tresco, opening on Saturday 16th July. He has also received introductions to prestigious London galleries that Tresco has forged friendships with over the years.

The prize itself has been designed by another of Tresco’s drawing protégés, artist Hugo Dalton, and will be presented to Theo at the opening of his exhibition at Gallery Tresco in July.

Rising Star


It’s not the first time Theo’s talent has been recognised either. At the age of 16 his work was featured on a commemorative coin for the 2012 Olympic Games. Next time you have a 50p piece in your hand, take a look. If it features a picture of a cyclist in a velodrome, it was designed by this rising star.

Back on Samson, I ask aloud: What was the history of this cottage, who might have lived here?

“I don’t really think about the history of the places I paint,” says Theo. “For me, it’s all about the texture and the material – that’s what gets me excited – but hey, that’s the great thing about art: everybody gets something different out of it.”

It strikes me the same is true of Tresco, and of Scilly: everyone who visits these islands takes away something different. Like grains of sand on a beach, memories of Scilly may all seem the same at first glance, but look a little closer and these islands mean something different to all who come here. For an artist, that must be pretty inspiring...


Theo's work will be on display at Gallery Tresco's Summer Show 2 which opens on Saturday 16th July with the artists' reception party from 6-8pm.

Join us for a glass of wine and meet Theo who will be on hand to discuss his stunning and unique Tresco-inspired work.

Stay on Tresco

Winter and Festive breaks are not always available to book online - for cottage stays or New Inn breaks over the winter months please go to Winter on Tresco or call 01720 422849.

Or call +44 (0)1720 422 849