Isles of Scilly Travel ferries

Isles of Scilly Travel

The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company was founded on 26 March 1920 by the islanders themselves. A committee went from house to house inviting residents to buy shares, and £20,000 was raised to give the islands a regular, reliable link with the mainland. A century later it is still very much a community enterprise.

The passenger ship has always been called Scillonian. The first purpose-built one entered service in 1925, the second in 1956, and the present Scillonian III in May 1977. She carries up to 485 passengers between Penzance and St Mary's, and a replacement is planned for the coming years. The freight ship Gry Maritha has supplied the islands since 1989.

The group also runs Skybus, the air service created in 1984 as a faster alternative to the sea crossing, which flies from Land's End, Newquay and Exeter. Many travellers choose one way by sea and the other by air.