Toll’s Island
Island Passport
Collect Toll’s Island
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Tidal island. Stamps are never worth a risky crossing. Check official safe crossing times and local signs before walking out.
Toll’s Island is a small tidal island off Pelistry Bay on the east coast of St Mary’s, the largest of the Isles of Scilly. At low tide a sandbar joins it to the beach, making it one of the easiest of Scilly’s small islands to reach on foot.
Landscape
The island covers about six acres of rough grass, heath and granite outcrops, with sheltered sandy beaches either side of the bar. It looks out over Crow Sound to the Eastern Isles and St Martin’s.
History
Toll’s Island is said to have the remains of a small 17th-century gun battery, known as Pellow’s Redoubt, built to watch over the eastern approaches to St Mary’s, as well as old kelp pits where seaweed was once burned to make soda for glass making. It is one of four small tidal islands joined to St Mary’s at low water.
Visiting
Walk across the sandbar from Pelistry Bay at low tide, but watch the time: the bar covers quickly as the tide comes in, and currents can be strong. You can collect Toll’s Island as a landing in your Island Passport.
Wildlife and area
Oystercatchers, turnstones and shags are found around the island, and grey seals are often seen in the bay. Nearby islands include St Mary’s, Little Ganinick and Great Ganinick.
Tides
Now
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Next high water
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Next low water
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Not for crossing. These are modelled tide heights, not safe crossing times. Tidal causeways and sands can flood quickly: always check the official safe crossing times and local signs before walking out.
Heights in metres relative to mean sea level; times are UK time. Not for navigation. Tide model: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).
How to get to Toll’s Island
You can reach Toll’s Island on foot.
On foot
You can walk to Toll’s Island at low tide. The way across floods quickly as the tide turns: check the safe crossing times and local signs, and never cross on a rising tide.
Plan your trip
Timetables change, so always check with the operator before you travel. We may earn a commission if you book through some of these links, at no extra cost to you.
Wildlife
4 species recorded on the island
Highlights
All wildlife
Loading all 4 species…
Nothing on the list is usually seen this month.
Watching wildlife responsibly. Keep your distance from seals, seabird colonies and cetaceans, stay quiet, and never feed or chase wildlife. See the WiSe Scheme guidance for watching marine wildlife.
