Three beautiful islands around the UK are car-free, providing visitors with a true break from everyday life. Sark is a tiny island in the Channel, off the coast of Normandy. Within the Bailiwick of Guernsey, there is a population of about 500 who mostly live in The Village.

It is one of the few car-free places in the world, and visitors must explore the two-square-mile island by bicycle, horse-drawn carriage, or on foot. You can catch a 35-to-50-minute ferry to the island from Guernsey or take a seasonal boat from Jersey. Upon arrival, a tractor-drawn cart transports visitors from the harbour to The Village.

Things to see include La Coupee, a 300ft-long causeway to Little Sark with a 330ft drop on either side. Visitors can also wander La Seigneurie Gardens or swim in the Venus Pool.

There are also plenty of stargazing opportunities – in 2011, Sark was designated as a Dark Sky Community and the first Dark Sky Island in the world.

Lundy is a rugged island in the Bristol Channel, 12 miles off the coast of North Devon. Just 3.5 miles long and half a mile wide, there is one pub (Marisco Tavern) that operates as the island’s only pub, restaurant, and store.

The island is famous for its puffins, with its name meaning Puffin Island in Old Norse. It operates completely off the grid, meaning there’s no TV, Wi-Fi, or phone signal, and island generators are turned off between 12pm and 6am.

Lundy is a haven for hikers, rock climbers, and scuba divers, with dramatic scenery and diverse wildlife. The waters surrounding the island were designated as England’s first statutory Marine Nature Reserve.

You can reach the island via ferry, which departs from the mainland ports of Bideford and Ilfracombe. The island has no hotels, but self-catering properties are available to book.

Eilean Shona is a 2,000-acre private island at the entrance of Loch Moidart on the west coast of Scotland. The island where author J.M. Barrie spent summers and wrote the screenplay for Peter Pan.

Today, it is owned by Vanessa Branson, Richard Branson’s sister. She bought the island in 1995 for around £1.3 million and has since worked to restore its cottages to be holiday lets.

The island features rare Atlantic oak and birch woodlands – classified as part of the Scottish Rainforest belt. It is rich with fauna, frequently visited by pine martens, red deer, eagles, otters, and seals.

Eilean Shona is perfect for wild swimming, clam foraging, paddleboarding, hiking, and enjoying evening campfires. There is also the Village Hall, with a weekly pub night, and a small shop.