Mevagissey Harbour

Mevagissey is a classic Cornish working fishing harbour - a double-walled inner and outer basin packed with bobbing boats, a stubby lighthouse and a tangle of pastel cottages climbing the hillside. It's a genuinely lovely aerial subject, especially the concentric harbour walls seen from directly overhead. Park at the pay-and-display above the village and walk down. This is a busy, enclosed place, so treat it with care: fishing crews are working, tourists throng the quay in season, and taking off among crowds isn't sensible. Fly early morning before the village wakes, launching from the outer pier or the quieter cliff path toward Polstreath, and keep the aircraft over water and harbour structures rather than over people's heads. There's no controlled airspace to worry about - St Mawgan and Newquay are well to the north - but gulls are numerous and territorial around the harbour and will happily mob a drone. The harbour is privately managed by the Mevagissey Harbour Trust, so be discreet and ready to land. Best light is a still, clear dawn when the water is glassy and the boats sit mirror-perfect; a rising tide fills the basin and lifts the fleet for the strongest reflections.