7 Islands Around The UK To Bookmark For 2026

For a luxury staycation, head to Michelin Key winner Foresters Hall in Cowes. Previously North House, the Cosy rooms here have king-sized beds, indoor wood burners and views over the garden, while the Spacious rooms come with freestanding bathtubs and separate showers. The terrace is a lovely spot for an evening drink, the restaurant serves delicious dishes made with local produce, and the bar has an extensive wine list. There’s also a heated outdoor pool surrounded by wicker deck chairs should you want to skip the beach.

Smoking Lobster serves local produce reimagined through a pan-Asian lens at its Cowes and Ventnor restaurants, and they’re both popular with both locals and tourists. In 2021, the team launched Drunken Lobster in Ventnor, an izakaya-style bar serving wine, sakes and cocktails alongside a concise Japanese small-plates menu. Relaxed beach restaurant The Hut has grown from a small, rustic beach bar known only to the locals into arguably the most popular restaurant on the island. Expect a menu focused on seafood – we love the sound of lemon sole with beurre noisette and new potatoes; and lobster rice with ñora sofrito and green aioli. Guests can get a boat over to the restaurant or, if you’re in Yarmouth, the team will pick you up. Speaking of Yarmouth, no visit to the Isle of Wight is complete without a reservation at The Terrace, which serves award-winning food with a side of striking sea views.

Off the west coast of Scotland, Skye is a 50-mile-long island of sea cliffs, jagged mountains, fern-covered moors and spectacular waterfalls. In short, it’s one of Britain’s most beautiful destinations – all year round. For one of the best views, set aside a few hours to walk the Quiraing, with its towering Tolkienesque spires. There’s a circular walk of just over 4 miles that takes around two or three hours to complete and is challenging in parts – but it’s well worth it. Other hiking highlights on the island are Neist Point, the most westerly point of Skye, with a picturesque lighthouse and some of the best sunsets on the island. And The Fairy Pools are a collection of beautiful crystal-clear blue pools on the River Brittle. A great spot for wild swimming in the warmer months, it takes about 40 minutes to reach them on foot from the carpark, passing waterfalls and remarkable rock formations along the route.

Milovaig House is a striking two-bedroom former crofters’ cottage on the edge of the sea, right up in the remote northwest of the island. Alongside a modern extension featuring floor-to-ceiling windows made for stargazing and wildlife spotting, the rest of the traditional property has been given a lovely Scandi makeover that suits Milovaig’s hillside surroundings – picture white-washed walls and sheepskin rugs. Plus, there’s a Nordic-style wood-fired hot tub from where – in the right conditions – you can watch the Northern Lights. Also in the northwest of Skye, on the Duirinish Peninsula, Hillstone Lodge is a stylish B&B with views over Loch Dunvegan. There are three guestrooms to choose from, all of which have double beds with luxury linens and views.

For a romantic trip or solo getaway, Supernova is a beautiful house overlooking Loch Harport and the village of Carbost. Once a chapel, the property has been restored with many of the original features intact, including two entrance doors and beautiful arched windows. If a hotel is more your thing, Kinloch Lodge is a family run property in a truly spectacular location. Tucked away on Skye’s southern shores, the lodge feels totally remote. For over 50 years, the hotel has been run by chef Claire Macdonald and her husband Lord Godfrey – and now her daughter Isabella is at the helm. Inside, bedrooms have been decorated in colours and textures that reflect Skye's distinctive landscape, while a bar with boardgames, a cosy fire and family portraits waits after dinner. Guests can eat in the restaurant or dine al fresco beside a firepit looking over the nearby loch during the summer months.

For a real taste of the island, Edinbane Lodge is a great place to dine – and stay. Run by Calum Montgomery, the restaurant is set within a 16th-century hunting lodge. There’s a dinner tasting menu which evolves with the seasons and is driven by the natural produce of the island. A meal at The Three Chimneys is another must. In an original Skye croft house on the edge of Colbost, guests can gaze out over the sandy shoreline and towards Dunvegan Castle. Most of the kitchen’s ingredients are sourced from the crofters, foragers, fishermen and farmers living within a few miles of the restaurant. Dishes might include scallops with roe parfait, coast herbs and rapeseed oil; scorched Dunvegan langoustine with tempura oysters; Dunvegan crab with peas, smoked almonds and yoghurt; and smoked haddock ravioli with buttered leeks. 

Skye has more award-winning, fine-dining restaurants than you might expect, and it also does casual dining very well. Carbost has two great options. The Oyster Shed is just that – a huge, chilly shed serving up whatever was caught by local fishmen that morning. Naturally, the oysters – shucked in front of you – are a must, but we also loved the hot-smoked salmon and lobster with garlic butter, both served with chips. At the other end of the village, Café Cuil is a favourite for brunch. Run by Claire, a Skye native who started the café in Hackney before she moved home, it serves Scottish-influenced brunches and lunches – think Scottish smoked mackerel on sourdough toast with seaweed sauerkraut, crowdie and cucumber; Scotch pancakes with rhubarb and gingernut crumble and gorse flower mascarpone; and Highland shakshuka with slow-roast tomatoes, veggie haggis and a fried egg.

Beautiful beaches, great camp sites, plenty of outdoor activities… Those in the know will tell you the Channel Islands are an under-rated holiday destination. If you’re after a quieter alternative to Cornwall or Devon this year, Alderney – the closest to France of the five islands – might just be the answer.

Part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Alderney is the third-largest Channel Island and is inhabited by just 2,000 people. Because it is easily reached via a ferry or 20-minute flight from Guernsey, many visitors take in the island as a secondary stop-off – indeed, the best things to see and do can be completed in a weekend. But we think Alderney deserves a visit in its own right. Flights from Southampton airport via Aurigny airline take around half an hour. Passengers travel in a small propeller aircraft with minimal luggage, which adds to the adventure. The views of the sandy beaches and blue sea as the plane approaches the island – which is just 3.5 miles long and 1.5 miles wide – further enhances the sense of anticipation.

In the summer months, you could easily spend all your days at the beach. Saye and Braye are especially popular for their white sands, while Clonque has lots of rockpools teeming with life – ideal if you’ve got kids in tow. Don’t miss the beautiful Arch beach, where you can spot Victorian fortresses and a lighthouse at low tide, or walk through the rocks to the adjacent Corblets Bay.

From lovely hotels to self-catering cottages and campsites, Alderney has accommodation options for every type of holiday. On the quiet cobblestone streets of St Anne, The Blonde Hedgehog is a lovely boutique hotel. With nine bedrooms and suites spread across the main house and a detached three-bedroom cottage called the Corner House, each room offers luxury interiors with rustic charm – think plush armchairs upholstered in local fabric, freestanding Victorian bathtubs and original fireplaces, Roberts radios and stylish Oka lighting. The Georgian House in St Anne is a popular family run hotel has a traditional feel, with four cosy bedrooms, a pub and a contemporary restaurant, while The Victoria offers a coastal feel with plenty of welcoming touches.

The Blonde Hedgehog also has a prettily designed restaurant with a farm-to-table ethos, with each dish made using locally sourced produce. Menus change regularly, but could include pulled pork with macaroni cheese and jalapeño cornbread; a lobster roll; Asian crispy beef salad; and a great portion of fish and chips. Elsewhere, Cantina on Victoria Street and Bacchus down bunting-lined Braye Street are great for tapas-style dining while watching the sunset over Fort Clonque. Post-beach, The Moorings is a great place to tuck into pizza on its terrace while listening to live music. For a proper seaside staple, make sure to stop off at Braye Chippy next to the harbour, and for excellent moules frites take a look at The Quarterdeck, which is open March-December. For decent coffee, try Jack’s on Victoria Street, whose terrace was always full of locals when we visited.

South-west of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly offer a staycation escape that’s a world away from the rest of the UK. Just over 2,000 people call its five inhabited islands – St Mary's, Tresco, St Martin's, Bryher and St Agnes – home, plus there are countless uninhabited ones to explore. Loved for its wild landscapes, unspoilt sandy beaches, clear blue waters and exotic gardens, Tresco is our pick – and is a year-round, car-free destination for those wanting a coastal break with a difference.

For a long weekend or weeklong getaway, Tresco offers plenty of places to explore – from dramatic rocky outcrops, Bronze Age burial sites and castle ruins to secluded sandy beaches that are readymade for dips, even in spring. While ferries are a popular form of transport for getting to the Isles of Scilly, there’s no better way to get a sense of place – and awe – than approaching by air from Exeter or Penzance. Unlike anything else in the UK, you’ll see the subtropical-looking isles come into view and the impossibly blue sea surrounding them. Of the five inhabited islands, Tresco is the second largest and is the only one of the islands that’s privately owned. It is currently cared for by Lucy and Robert Dorrien-Smith and – for those looking for a true escape from day-to-day life – the island is car free, meaning all travel is done by foot, bike or boat. You can hire bikes from the Bike Shed at New Grimsby to travel around or borrow a boat, windsurf or kayak from The Sailing Centre at Old Grimsby.

Visitors can rent a beachside home for a week or two or a Sea Garden Cottage (which houses from two to ten people), which can be catered or self-catered. The Sea Garden houses are lovely contemporary coastal cottages with views over Tresco’s east coast and the uninhabited islands. Set in beautiful landscaped gardens, just yards from the shoreline, each has a spacious, open-plan living area leading onto a private deck and garden. The rooms are complemented with bespoke fabrics and finished with original artworks inspired by the coast. Alternatively, Tresco also has a range of traditional Scillonian cottages dotted across the island and a number of B&B rooms at the award-winning The New Inn in New Grimsby. A cosy seaside pub tucked away down a cobbled street, a recent makeover has resulted in the addition of 16 en-suite bathrooms, all with beautiful sea or countryside views. 

Those spending a week or so on Tresco have plenty of dining options to flit between. The New Inn pub serves classic pub fare and seafood dishes – think potted crab on brioche toast, monkfish scampi, and lobster with chilli and garlic herb butter. During the summer months, guests can choose dishes from the Ox Grill on the terrace where chefs cook local produce over hot coals. When it comes to breakfast, The New Inn serves wholesome porridge, fruit, pastries and the ‘Full Scillonian’ – which we highly recommend.

Over at the Ruin Beach Café, on the edge of the water, the wood-fired oven is the star of the show – the team does a great turn in pizzas, seafood pasta, home baked bread and light salads. This beachfront restaurant takes its name from the ruined smuggler’s cottage that forms part of its terrace, overlooking Raven’s Porth. If you’re after a lazy lunch in between swims, make sure to order the seafood platter, which includes a selection of freshly caught produce, simply prepared. It’s also a great spot for a morning coffee or sharing a bottle of wine while overlooking the sunset.

Inspired? Here are three more island escapes we love...

Essex’s coastline gets a bad rap, but Mersea Island is one spot definitely worth visiting. Accessible via a causeway at low tide, it’s home to unspoiled beaches, salt marshes, and appealing countryside. Spend time exploring the island's villages, where you'll find traditional pubs serving locally brewed ales and fresh seafood caught straight from the surrounding waters. Mersea Island is also a hotspot for wildlife enthusiasts, with opportunities for birdwatching, seal spotting, and even crabbing along the shores. Take a leisurely walk along the Mersea Trail – a scenic walking route that winds its way through the island's diverse landscapes, including woodlands, meadows and coastal habitats – and visit Mersea Island Vineyard, where you can sample award-winning wines made from grapes grown right on the island.

Eilean Shona is a three-hour drive through the Highlands from Glasgow. It’s the island where author and playwright J.M. Barrie took inspiration from moss-covered woods, open hills and white sand beaches, and first imagined the Neverland of Peter Pan. Eilean Shona is now owned by Vanessa Branson, who has applied the design skills honed at her Moroccan luxury hotel El Fenn to turn it into one of the Highlands’ finest destinations. Dotted around the island are nine cottages that sleep between two and eight people. Shepherd’s Cottage is an off-grid bolthole perfect for couples; the Old Schoolhouse is a luxurious conversion of the long-gone island community’s school; the newest conversion is Timber Cottage, a single-storey, one-bedroomed cottage with lovely touches such as a Victorian roll-top bath, and splashes of colour from textiles and furnishings sourced from Marrakech. At Dorlin Pier on the mainland, the island boat picks guests up for the five-minute crossing. A quad and trailer transports luggage and provisions to and from the cottages on arrival and departure.  

The largest of the Channel Islands, Jersey is home to some of the most beautiful beaches and vistas in the country. Visitors should drive around the windswept, rugged coastline and make a beeline for the south and west coast beaches, where you can spot castle ruins and interesting architecture. Portelet beach is a particular highlight, as is Plémont, where there are plenty of outdoor activities the whole family can enjoy, including kayaking, surfing, coasteering and wildlife tours.

St Helier, the capital, has a laidback feel and is where you’ll find the best pubs and places to eat – Samphire is a top choice, while Ocean Restaurant is renowned for its seafood. Locke’s Stories is housed in a beautifully refurbished National Trust building, serving up creative antipodean-style brunch dishes and great coffee. In St Brelade, The Oyster Box comes with panoramic views of one of the island’s most popular and beautiful bays. The outside bar area is ideal for pre-dinner drinks and cocktails. Alternatively, head east to the picturesque harbour of Gorey to find Sumas, a firm favourite with both locals and visitors that has a contemporary seaside feel with views of Gorey Castle and the Royal Bay of Grouville. Arguably the most beautiful place you’ll ever tuck into a wood-fired pizza, there are only two ways to reach Portlet Bay Cafe: down a lot of stairs or by boat. Whichever way you choose, the food is excellent and the outlook stunning.