Two random images from the Isles of Scilly. The image above was taken out at the Western Rocks, which is the very first bit of Britain reached from America. A sizeable swell was rolling in from the Atlantic, but we were shielded from its full force by the 4km string of rocks and reefs. The photo below shows [...]
Archive for the ‘Isles of Scilly’ Category
Scilly times 1 comment
Traffic Separation Scheme Leave a comment
Crossing between the mainland and the Isles of Scilly… The Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) will certainly give you something to look at. The TSS crosses the middle third of your voyage, a massive maritime motorway. The two ‘lanes’ that you cross (north going, then south going) are each 4.5km wide with a 3km ‘central reservation’. [...]
Bishop Rock Lighthouse Leave a comment
Approaching Bishop Rock Lighthouse, Isles of Scilly. There is nothing past this, but America. Whilst the Stevenson family lit up remote shores of Scotland, construction in England and Wales was dominated by Trinity House Chief Engineers James Walker and James Douglass. When James Walker replaced the 1776 lighthouse on Pembrokeshire’s Smalls Rock (constructed using wooden and [...]
Why the Whales Came Leave a comment
Why the Whales Came is a children’s book by Michael Morpurgo (previously children’s Laureate), set in the Isles of Scilly during the First World War. The plot centres around the islands of Bryher and Samson, which has been uninhabited since the mid nineteenth century. My wife reads the book with her pupils at school; the [...]
A Week of Scillyness 4 comments
Below is an article that I wrote about last summer’s trip to the Isles of Scilly, located off the far west of England’s mainland. It was previously published in Canoe Kayak UK magazine. Enjoy… A Week of Scillyness – A jaunt to the best sea kayaking location in the World. Ever. “Arguably the most exotic [...]
Scilly Season Leave a comment
The March edition of Canoe Kayak UK magazine features an article and photography by myself about our fantastic week on the Isles of Scilly last May. I hope that folk enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it … no, I really did. It was a truly wonderful holiday, and as it turned out, the [...]
The Blue Boar 4 comments
Heather, somewhere in Orkney. I think. I did an evening of talks up the road at Poole Harbour Canoe Club last year. Surprisingly, I can’t have offended absolutely everybody in the room on that occasion, as they’ve invited me back for another go, later this month. The talks will be on the evening of Monday [...]
Guest Appearance Leave a comment
I’m somewhere else.
Elsewhere Leave a comment
Sometimes, all you want from life is just to be somewhere else. Right now, the Isles of Scilly would suit me fine.
Scilly (Isles of) Leave a comment
I’ve posted up a large gallery of my photos from last weeks’ amazing Isles of Scilly trip here. Beautiful places, great friends. Enjoy. Looking for information about the South West Sea Kayak Meet? Try here. Cheers, Mark
Atlantic Dawn 3 comments
The alarm went at 4.30 am, and I found myself awaking on the tarmac of the car park of Sennen Cove. It was light, but the sun hadn’t risen yet. I’d enjoyed just a few hours of sleep. Indeed, due to some fairly full-on times at work, I hadn’t slept for more than 5-6 hours in [...]
Scilly people 2 comments
Just returned from a wonderful week in the Isles of Scilly; my fourth visit, and it won’t be my last. I enjoyed revisiting old favourite spots, and discovering quite a few new ones. This trip was particularly enjoyable as we were joined by plenty of good friends who were ‘Scilly virgins’ and it was great to [...]
Armeria 1 comment
Thrift thrives on the coastal fringes where there is plenty of salt in the air and ground. This hardy plant is also known as ‘sea pink’, for obvious reasons. These photos were taken in the Isles of Scilly; this wind-swept Atlantic archipelago is located 25 miles offshore of England’s mainland. Thrift can be found growing wild all [...]
The Grauniad Leave a comment
South West Sea Kayaking has had a plug in The Guardian newspaper. Many thanks to Jim Krakiecki who included the wonderful Isles of Scilly in his ‘Top Ten’ list of sea kayaking destinations. Presumably the Isles will soon be over-run with sandal-wearing, muesli-eating, Labour-voting, ethnic-clothes-clad paddlers … Incidentally, the photo above (or one pretty similar, I [...]
A first Scilly crossing, 2005 Leave a comment
“Mark, I just bought a second hand Nordkapp and fancy giving sea kayaking a try this weekend.” “This Shell garage should stock everything we need.” “I left the map at home. No worries, I can figure out a compass bearing from the road atlas.” “Um … the GPS is saying that the Isles of Scilly [...]
Mud Island 1 comment
I just agreed to write an article for Paddle World magazine, an annually published touring/sea kayaking publication with international content and circulation. I suggested writing about the Isles of Scilly. The editor, a Frenchman, had never heard of them, so I sent him some photos. His response made me laugh out loud … —————————————————– Mark, just checked [...]
Cartography 2 comments
I’ve just mapped the entire Isles of Scilly. Try to sound impressed.
Bah Humbug Leave a comment
Above is the card that we’ve been posting out to friends in recent days. If you haven’t received one, it either means that we’ve missed the Christmas post, or that it’s one of the many unaddressed cards still sitting on the living room table, or that we’ve forgotten you, or that we don’t like you [...]
Heat Haze Leave a comment
Given the cold weather lately, I’ve been pretty spineless and have remained ashore warm and dry. So shoot me. Yesterday I was asked how I plan and steer this blog. The true answer is, the blog is entirely random. Lately, I just go to my (very big) directory of South West photos, close my eyes, wiggle my [...]
All Puffed Out Leave a comment
As a very busy 2007 draws to a close, I’ve just been sorting through the mountain of brochures, leaflets, maps and other sundry paperwork on my desk. I uncovered the postcard above, bought in the Isles of Scilly back in May. The lighthouse in the picture is the astonishing Bishop Rock, Britain’s tallest and most [...]
