Godrevy Point

Godrevy Point closes the northern end of St Ives Bay, and its white lighthouse standing on a small island is one of the most photographed sights in Cornwall, said to have inspired Virginia Woolf. For a drone the combination is hard to beat: turquoise water over pale sand, the reef around the island, and three miles of beach curving away toward Hayle. The National Trust owns the headland and car parks, so the cleanest legal approach is to launch from the beach below the mean high water line, which also keeps you away from the busy clifftop paths. Grey seals haul out at Mutton Cove just north of the point and there are nesting birds on the cliffs, so keep well clear of both and never fly low over wildlife. Airspace is straightforward, with Land's End Airport about 25km away and no controlled zone overhead. The point is open to the full force of Atlantic wind and the sea state can build fast, so fly on calmer days and mind the tide, which cuts off parts of the beach. It is a busy family beach in summer, so early morning is far more relaxed and gives cleaner light across the bay.