St Michael's Mount

St Michael’s Mount is one of Cornwall’s most recognisable landmarks, a dramatic tidal island rising from Mount’s Bay that is crowned by a medieval castle and chapel. Connected to the mainland village of Marazion by a granite causeway that is passable at low tide, the island has served as a monastery, a fortress and a private residence over more than a thousand years.

The castle, which dates in part to the twelfth century, sits at the summit and houses a collection of historical rooms including the Chevy Chase Room with its remarkable plaster hunting frieze, the armoury, the church, and a series of elegant rooms furnished by the St Aubyn family, who have lived on the island since 1659. The views from the castle battlements extend across Mount’s Bay to the Lizard in one direction and towards Mousehole and the Penwith coast in the other.

The subtropical terraced gardens, carved into the steep granite slopes below the castle, contain plants from around the world that thrive in the mild maritime climate. At high tide, a small ferry carries visitors across from Marazion harbour. The island is managed by the National Trust in partnership with the St Aubyn family, and both the castle and gardens have separate opening times and admission charges. Visiting at low tide and walking the causeway is part of the experience, a crossing that pilgrims and travellers have made for centuries.