It was 15 years ago that a former colleague told me about what sounded like a mythical collection of islands 28 miles off the Cornish coast. They had a sub-tropical climate, he said, due to sitting within the Gulf Stream. And white sandy beaches, he said. And blue water and palm trees. All just an hour’s plane journey from Exeter. I have been dying to go ever since.

The isles’ five inhabited islands – Bryher, St Agnes, St Martin’s, Tresco and St Mary’s – are home to around 2,200 people, which means there’s a limited amount of visitor accommodation and when it’s full, it’s full. Except it’s never really full. It’s peak season when we visit (April-October; the isles are ghost town-quiet the rest of the time, with cold weather and reduced services) yet it never feels busy – an undisputed bonus.

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