Despite its air of finality, Land's End in Cornwall in the west of England has a close neighbour in the Scilly Isles: a sub-tropical cluster of islands 15 minutes from Land's End by helicopter.
The largest island and main destination in this scattered paradise comprising 140 isles is St Mary's, which covers little more than 10 square kilometres. The other four inhabited rocks are Tresco ('England's Island of Flowers'), St Martin's, St Agnes and Bryher, the home of Hell Bay, whose tumultuous Atlantic waters once struck terror into the hearts of seafarers.
Sometimes, at low tide, the sea becomes so shallow you can walk to some islands. This peculiarity may explain the origins of local legends of drowned lands such as Lyonesse (the land of King Arthur). Wherever you walk, you are unlikely to bump into anyone. The combined population is about 3,000, which makes humans appear an endangered species and explains why Scilly is so unspoiled that it ranks as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
During spring, the isles are awash with narcissi and other exhilaratingly delicate flowers.
The atmosphere is all the more attractive because of the temperature. In contrast to that other Viking outpost, the Orkneys, the temperature rarely drops to a muscle-tensing cold.
Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the weather is balmy throughout the year, hence the islands' name, which comes from 'Sully', meaning 'the Sun Isles'. It's hard to believe you're in Britain.