The largest island, yet still measuring only two and a half miles across, St.Mary's is the administrative hub of the Islands and the main terminus for year-round transport links with the mainland. The capital is Hugh Town that sits on a narrow sand-bar and is in reality little bigger than a village.

St.Mary's has many hidden secrets and the walks around the coast and across the Island are a delight with many contrasts from woodlands, heaths and marshland, to sand dunes with marram grasses thick with wild agapanthus flowers from Africa.

There are many ancient monuments to be discovered on St.Mary's, from a megalithic village and tombs to Civil War fortifications. The small museum on St.Mary's displays much of Scilly's rich history.

All the facilities found in a good size village, and a few more, are available on St.Mary's. Six quality hotels, numerous guest houses, hundreds of self- catering cottages, houses and flats, and an excellent camp site offer a wide range of accommodation.

Sporting wise, St.Mary's has a 9 hole golf course, a tennis court, squash court, sailing club, windsurfing centre and you can also go cycling, horse-riding or scuba diving. Evening entertainment is plentiful and there is music in the pubs on a regular basis.