UK Island Staycations: Choosing Which Island

Going to an island changes the character of a holiday before you arrive. There is a crossing, which means a timetable and a commitment; once you are there, leaving for the afternoon is not an option. That constraint is the appeal. It also means picking the wrong island is harder to recover from than picking the wrong town, so it is worth a little thought.

Easy islands

Short crossings, full facilities

The Isle of Wight is the gentlest introduction: a short ferry, a full range of accommodation, beaches, and enough to do in poor weather. Anglesey is reached by bridge, which removes the timetable entirely while keeping the coastline and the sense of separateness.

Islands with their own character

The Isle of Man is self-governing, has its own railways and a startling amount of coastline for its size. Jersey and Guernsey are warmer than anywhere on the mainland and feel noticeably less British, which for many people is the point.

Scottish islands

The dramatic ones

Skye is the most famous and the most visited, with mountain scenery that justifies the reputation and summer crowds that surprise people who expected remoteness. Book everything well ahead, or go in the shoulder months.

The quieter alternatives

Mull offers much of the same landscape with a fraction of the traffic and some of the best wildlife watching in Britain. Arran is the most accessible from the central belt and is often described as Scotland in miniature, with a genuine mountain at one end and gentle farmland at the other.

The far north

Orkney is unlike anywhere else in Britain: almost treeless, with archaeology older than the pyramids and a light in summer that barely goes out. It is a long way, and it is worth it.

The Isles of Scilly

The Isles of Scilly sit far enough south-west to grow things that will not survive on the mainland. Small, expensive to reach, almost car-free, and completely distinctive. Best treated as a week rather than a weekend.

How long to go for

Match the stay to the crossing

A rough rule: the longer the journey, the longer the stay. A weekend on the Isle of Wight works. A weekend on Orkney is mostly travelling. If the crossing is more than two hours, or involves a flight and a ferry, give it a week.

Weather buys you time, or takes it

Island weather changes fast and the good days should be spent outside regardless of what was planned. That works far better across seven days than across three, which is another argument for the longer trip on the remoter islands.

Practical points

Book the crossing before the accommodation, not after, particularly if you are taking a car. Vehicle space on the smaller routes sells out long before foot passenger space does. Allow slack in the schedule at both ends: crossings are weather-dependent, and an island holiday that begins with a missed connection starts badly.

Consider whether you need the car at all. On several islands the bus and bike networks are adequate, and leaving the car on the mainland is cheaper and simpler. Our guide to staycations without a car covers that, and wildlife breaks covers what to look for once you are there.