Isn't it satisfying to get away from the crowds so quickly? We walked the SW Coast Path from Mullion Cove to Lizard on our Cornwall trip this year, Kynance Cove was absolutely heaving, nearby Kynance Gate settlement entirely untroubled by visitors, except us.

The reason I've never particularly warmed to Merry Maidens, as opposed to Tregeseal and especially Boskednan, is entirely due to the ease of access by car and thus constant stream of vaguely-interested sightseers.

I think Rhiannon is right - there must be a scientific formula to show that number of people encountered is inversely proportionate to the number of metres from the ice cream van (I appreciate that a number of my own fieldnotes may mention ice cream, so even solitary TMAers are not immune to the laws involved).