Pictures of Scillonian III's historic final voyage

Scillonian III has completed its final passenger sailing between the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall, ending a service that began in 1977. The ferry left St Mary’s for Penzance on Sunday, 8 November, after almost half a century operating the route.

The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group said the return sailing was full. Before the ship departed St Mary’s, a ceremony was held on board to seal a time capsule containing material linked to its history.

Contributions included messages, photographs and mementoes, as well as historic documents, publications and records. The capsule also contains a letter carried on Scillonian III’s inaugural sailing to Scilly on 25 May 1977.

Gig rowers accompanied the ferry as it left St Mary’s, according to BBC coverage of the farewell. On arrival in Penzance, Scillonian III was welcomed by crowds of well-wishers and a performance by the Cape Cornwall Singers, the Steamship Group said.

Since entering service in 1977, the ship has carried more than five million passengers and travelled more than 780,000 miles, according to the group. It provided a passenger link between Penzance and St Mary’s for islanders, businesses and visitors.

Stuart Reid, chief executive of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, described the final sailing as the close of an “extraordinary chapter”. He said the ferry had been part of life in the islands for almost 50 years and had carried generations of islanders and visitors.

Reid said the farewell would feel personal to many people, and thanked the ship for its service. His remarks came as the group marked the vessel’s retirement after decades of journeys between the islands and mainland.

Ian Howard, chairman of the group, paid tribute to the generations of masters, officers, engineers, pursers, crew members and quay staff who had operated and maintained the ferry. He said their dedication had been central to Scillonian III’s history.

The ship and crew were blessed by Steve Morgan of the Mission to Seafarers before the final return to Penzance. The day’s farewell included the capsule ceremony at St Mary’s and the musical welcome in Cornwall.

Scillonian III is being retired as the Steamship Group modernises its fleet. The replacement, Scillonian IV, was due to enter service in March 2027, according to pre-voyage information published by Cornwall Live. The final sailing marks the end of the older vessel’s service, not the end of the passenger connection between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly.

Information on this page is refreshed from the connected theuk.fyi services when the interactive page loads.