The Islands’ Partnership has today launched its biggest ever Walk Scilly festival programme which takes place 1st – 7th April 2017. Now in its 11 year, there are 29 walks from which to choose across the five inhabited islands and three of the uninhabited ones.

Each day from Saturday 1st to Friday 7th April, visitors – many of whom are likely to be first-timers to the islands – can choose from four or five whole and half day walks, and the programme has been arranged to make sure they can visit a different island a day, so as not to miss out on getting to see the whole archipelago.

All the walks are once again themed and will be led by experts in their field. Options include going foraging, strolling through sub-tropical gardens, taking a farm tour, beach combing for cowrie shells or simply walking each island Top to Toe. They will also be able to enjoy a sunset walk, immerse themselves in Scilly’s maritime history; explore the uninhabited islands and get up close to our wildlife.

The Islands’ Partnership Walk Scilly programme is being supported by the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, Isles of Scilly Travel, St. Mary’s Boatmen’s Association, Juliet’s Restaurant & Bar and The Mermaid Inn. All the details of the Walk Scilly programme can be found on the Visit Isles of Scilly website.

The Isles of Scilly are set to benefit from major new investment into its cultural tourism offer after a successful bid by the Islands’ Partnership to Arts Council England’s national Cultural Destinations fund.
The £147,000 project will be led by the Islands’ Partnership working alongside a local consortium of the islands’ artistic and cultural communities, including the museum and library.

The two-year project which is set to commence in April aims to bring to life Scilly’s rich and distinctive cultural heritage offer to attract new visitors to the islands. It will see the development of a range of new visitor experiences including discovery trails, events and cultural short break packages. These will be supported by additional marketing and informed by consumer research to help identify new audiences.

The trails will utilise new digital technology, exploiting the opportunities provided by the islands’ superfast and 4G connectivity to provide visitors with new and immersive experiences. The project will help to stimulate new business growth and provide a much needed boost to the islands’ visitor economy.

James Berresford, Chairman of the Islands’ Partnership said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been successful in our bid to the Cultural Destinations fund. The Isles of Scilly are already one of England’s most distinctive destinations. This project will provide a fantastic opportunity to build on this and harness the enormous potential of the islands’ cultural heritage, bringing our untold stories to life and helping to attract new visitors.”

David Jackson, Executive Director of the Islands’ Partnership added: “Our Cultural Destinations project will bring the islands’ tourism industry and cultural community together to create new and compelling visitor experiences and provide a much-needed boost to the islands’ vital visitor economy. It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity that enables the islands to exploit new technology and to demonstrate innovation despite our remote location.”

Phil Gibby, Area Director, South West, Arts Council England, said: “This is a fantastic result for the Isles of Scilly’s cultural, destination and tourism organisations. The investment will help position culture as a significant part of the visitor offer, helping to drive growth of the visitor economy and allowing more people to experience arts and culture.”