“What’s it like here in the winter?” after “Where’s the best place to paddle to?” is a question visitors frequently ask us on the beach. Most visitors see Scilly during the summer months, experiencing blue skies and sunshine (hopefully!) and a beautiful, vibrant tourist destination. Although the islands are famous for the scented narcissi that grow during the winter months, visitors are naturally curious about what island life is like in the winter on Scilly.
If you know St Martin’s in the summer months, it is very different in the winter. For example, on St Martin’s, many businesses close for the winter, so the island has a much quieter feel to it. If asked, most of the 140 residents would probably say they enjoy the winter. The weather is more frequently wet and windy with the occasional huge storm that causes us to hunker down. In this blog we’ll talk about the reasons why, despite the weather, winter is a really special season on St Martin’s.
Everything is Closed?
By the end of October, nearly all the businesses directly serving tourists are closed. We take the kayaks, snorkel sets and paddleboards off the beach and safely tuck them away for the winter.
The Seven Stones Inn sometimes opens up on Friday nights, for a cosy drink by the fire. Adam’s Fish and Chips also opens for a happy hour on a Saturday evening, so there are some limited opportunities for going out. Little Arthur Café will do the occasional, and much enjoyed, pizza delivery night.
The Island Bakery bakes bread to order once a week and St Martin’s Stores switches to winter opening hours. Warren, the island barber, cuts hair in his salon on St Martin’s a few times a month so we can all stay looking neat and tidy! Scilly Organics stock up their veg stall at 1200 every Saturday. Heading up to Jonathan’s stall at midday for a vitamin C fix can be a very sociable experience!
There’s only one boat a week.
The scheduled tripper boats stop running at the end of the October half term. There is a single designated ‘Shopping Boat’ which goes to St Mary’s on a Thursday morning - weather permitting! There’s no Scillonian ferry to connect us to the mainland, and the freight boat that brings everything from the mainland sails three times a week. Again, weather permitting.
This means that the Coop, our only supermarket on Scilly, is usually well stocked on a Thursday morning. The pubs and some cafes on St Mary’s stay open in the winter so ‘shopping day’ can again be very sociable.
Tresco Boats run jet boats in the winter so it is possible to get off the islands on other days. That being said, on a calm day in the winter it’s always a thrill to go kayaking and head out onto the water. As winter boating is more restricted, it feels even more special to have the freedom to explore. A coffee on Tresco always tastes so much better when you’ve kayaked there.
On St Martin’s, Bonfire Night isn’t on November 5th!
On Scilly, most people are involved in the tourism business and are often working from April through to October without a break. Which is why our school’s autumn half term lasts for two weeks, and only has five weeks of summer holidays. This means that many families are away on Nov 5th.
The St Martin’s Island Hall Committee organises a spectacular firework display, set up and set off by the islands’ firefighters. There’s a massive bonfire on Pool Green and people bring snacks and delicious goodies to share while the bonfire is lit.
So, our Bonfire Night takes place on the first Friday after half term. Again, as with so much here in the winter, weather permitting. One year, the weather was so relentlessly stormy; the bonfire was finally lit in January!
Whale Watching on St Martin’s!
You’ll always see plenty of wildlife when you’re out walking on St Martin’s. However, for the past five years it’s been possible to go whale watching in the winter. The islands have been fortunate to be visited by humpback whales. One whale that is a return visitor to Scilly is called Pi because of the distinctive Pi shaped mark below its dorsal fin. Other species including fin and minke whales are also seen. Whales can be identified by the varying shape of their spouts. The humpback whales tend to arrive in November and stay until late February/early March.
The Daymark is the best place on St Martin’s to see dolphins and porpoises at any time of the year. If you see gannets repeatedly diving into the water, a spectacular sight in itself, that will often mean there are cetaceans around feeding with the gannets. The best view we’ve had of a whale was directly below the Daymark. It was so close it was virtually touching the rocks at the bottom of the cliff.
February is a wicked month
To plagiarise the book title by Edna O Brien, locals often view February as the hardest month of the winter. Christmas has been and gone, the winter storms seem relentless, and it still gets dark early. Summer feels an eternity away. All those jobs that were planned for ‘sometime’ this winter haven’t yet happened and the start of the season is approaching fast.
February can be quite bleak and we’re all very grateful it’s only 28 days long! It means, however, that by March, when the first visitors come back, we’re all super happy to see them again.
St Martin’s is a very different island in the winter, but it’s not without its charms. Most people have more time in the winter for enjoying the islands and socialising with other residents. Long winter walks can result in the sighting of a whale. Bonfire Night is a moveable feast. The occasional flat calm day means that, when you can head out on the water on a kayak or paddleboard, it feels extra special. As a resident, it’s a privilege to be part of such a vibrant community.
During the summer, St Martin’s Watersports hires kayaks, paddleboards and snorkel sets from Par Beach. Don’t forget, the best moments happen at sea!
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