Magical May - plan your visit...

May on the islands is a gentle prelude to summer – long, light-filled days, the occasional early heatwave, glassy seas and that unhurried sense of time stretching ahead.

With inter-island boating at its best, the Abbey Garden in full, vivid bloom, and a calendar that drifts from theatre and music to wildlife walks, there’s plenty to draw you out – and just as much to invite you to slow down.

Or perhaps it’s simply a moment to pause: to rest, restore, and settle into the quiet rhythm of coastal life.

Here are just a few reasons to make May your month on Tresco…

If you’re visiting the Abbey Garden in May, come ready for a kind of gentle sensory overwhelm – cascading colour, sculptural succulents, and the quiet geometry of interwoven leaves and branches. A true botanical abundance, at its most expressive.

Paths and terraces brim with Banksia formosa from Western Australia, the striking forms of South African protea, and our own naturally occurring hybrid Olearia.

And then, just as you pause to take it all in, a flicker of russet in the trees – the red squirrels, ever-curious, never far away, and always a joy to encounter.

May marks the return of Abbey Garden Yoga, as Bryher islander and yogi Gem Hansen leads this quietly uplifting morning practice.

Step through the gates early, when the garden is at its most peaceful – golden pheasants stirring, red squirrels tracing the branches overhead – and settle into a gentle rhythm of movement among the blooms.

A calm, restorative start to the day, shaped by nature and space to breathe.

As spring leans into summer, our kitchens follow suit – menus lightening and brightening with the best of the season’s produce, drawn from island fields and surrounding seas.

The Ruin Terrace was made for May: long, easy afternoons, the wood-fired oven scenting the air with a hint of island smoke, and the sense that there’s nowhere else you need to be.

At The New Inn, from around the middle of the month (weather permitting), the Ox Grill returns – flame, sea air and fresh island seafood, simply prepared and best enjoyed outdoors as the evening draws in.

Eight hundred acres to roam, and in May it all begins to stir. Wide, open spaces. Empty beaches. Miles of coastal paths with a shifting seascape at every turn, and the sweet, unmistakable scent of gorse carried on clear sea air.

It’s a wonderful time to circle the island – an easy day’s adventure, with plenty of pauses for swimming, wandering, and simply taking it all in.

For those drawn to the water, early May brings the islands’ most exhilarating spectacle. From 2nd - 4th May, the World Pilot Gig Championships arrive on Scilly – a vivid spectacle with a start line stretching over a mile. From Tresco, though, the atmosphere remains gently removed – close enough to dip into the excitement on St Mary’s, and just as easy to retreat to stillness.

On 12th and 28th May, join a Wildlife Walk with ornithologist Will Wagstaff for a guided walk through Tresco’s wilder corners – an unhurried introduction to the island’s birdlife and natural rhythms. For those wanting to delve into the surprising history of this fascinating little isle, local historian Dr Katharine Sawyer guides Archaeology Walks on 4th and 18th May.

For a brief window between 16th - 18th May, the tides reveal something rare: the chance to walk the channel itself, tracing a path across the seabed and discovering what lies beneath the surface.

Or simply take to the water with Tresco Boats. Step aboard for a wildlife trip, island-hopping daytrip or an evening on another island – the Firethorn is ready and waiting, her weekly sailings shaped by tide and weather, and confirmed the day before.

If a quieter pace calls, there are gentler ways to explore. From 16th – 26th May, the Creative Scilly Festival brings a soft rhythm of creativity to the islands – a celebration of artists and makers, with moments of music, theatre, literature and performance unfolding across the archipelago.

At its heart sits the islands’ own Folk Festival, arriving at The New Inn on 24th May, followed by a special evening on 29th May as folk legend Seth Lakeman takes to the stage.

Meanwhile, on 10th and 24th May, the Makers Markets offer a chance to meet the island’s creatives up close – a relaxed showcase of local art, craft, clothing and pottery, each piece shaped by the place it calls home.