St Martin's (Scilly)Cornwall

St Martin's (Scilly) at a glance

St Martin's: the northernmost inhabited island of the Isles of Scilly, with three small villages and a daymark

St Martin's is the northernmost inhabited island of the Isles of Scilly, off the Cornish coast. It covers 237 hectares (0.92 square miles) and had 135 residents at the 2021 census. Its Cornish name, Breghyek, is often translated as dappled island. Population peaked at 214 in 1841.

There are three main settlements, Higher Town, Middle Town and Lower Town, plus scattered farms and cottages. Higher Town has a general store and post office, a bakery, a bistro, a fish and chip restaurant and a commercial vineyard. Lower Town has a hotel, a pub, and a silversmith and jeweller. Higher Town also has the Anglican parish church and a Methodist chapel dating from about 1845.

The Daymark stands on the island's highest point in the north east corner. It is a red and white granite tower put up in 1683, about 11 metres (36 feet) high, and its door carries an incorrect date of 1637. On a clear day you can see the Cornish mainland from here, and the Daymark can be seen from Land's End. Nearby prehistoric cairns and the Daymark are scheduled monuments.

Boats use Higher Town Quay at high tide and Hotel Quay in Lower Town at low tide. A tidal causeway links the island to the uninhabited White Island to the north. Four areas of St Martin's are Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and so is White Island.

Between Middle Town and Higher Town stands the Community Observatory. The island's night sky is rated Bortle class 1, among the darkest in England. Five Islands Academy has a primary campus on the island, and secondary pupils board on St Mary's during the week. The civil parish also takes in uninhabited islands such as the Eastern Isles.