Isles of Scilly
| Isles of Scilly | |
|---|---|
Shown in relation to Cornwall | |
| Geography | |
| Status: | Unitary |
| Region: | South West England |
| Ceremonial County: | Cornwall |
| Area: - Total | Ranked 351st 16.33 km² |
| Admin. HQ: | St Mary's |
| ONS code: | 15UH |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2002 est.) - Density | Ranked 354th 2,162 132 / km² |
| Ethnicity: | 99.6% White |
| Politics | |
| Council of the Isles of Scilly http://www.scilly.gov.uk/ | |
| Leadership: | |
| Executive: | |
| MP: | Andrew George |
The islands' position produces a place of great contrast - the ameliorating effect of the sea means they rarely have frost or snow, which allows local farmers to grow flowers well ahead of those on mainland Britain (the largest agricultural product is cut flowers, mostly daffodils), while the exposure to the Atlantic winds means spectacular winter gales lash the islands from time to time.
This is reflected in the landscape, most clearly seen on Tresco where the lush Sub-Tropical Abbey Gardens on the sheltered southern end of the island contrast with the low heather and bare rock sculpted by the wind on the exposed Northern end.
Scilly has been inhabited since stone-age times and its history has been one of subsistence living until this century with people living from the land and the sea. Farming and fishing continues today, but the main industry now is tourism.
It is likely that until relatively recently the Isles were much larger and that as late as Roman times there was only one large island. At certain low tides the sea becomes shallow enough for people to walk between some of the islands. This is possibly one of the sources for stories of drowned lands, eg Lyonesse.
Obviously the sea has always played a huge part in Scillonian history but it was in the nineteenth century that Scilly had its maritime heyday. Beaches which are now enjoyed by sunbathers were then factories for shipbuilding, the harbours now full of pleasure boats were once packed with local and visiting fishing and trading boats.
One continuing legacy of the isles' past is gig racing, wherein fast rowing boats ("gigs") with crews of 6 (or in one case, 7) race between the main islands. Gig racing is said to derive from the race to collect salvage from ships wrecked on the rocks around Scilly.
The tourist season has been extended into October when many birderss arrive. Because of its position, Scilly is the first landing for many vagrant birds, including extreme rarities from North America and Siberia.
The main transport links with the mainland are currently:
- helicopter services between Penzance Heliport and St Mary's and Tresco
- aeroplane services to St Mary's from various UK airports
- by sea on the Scillonian III, sailing from Penzance harbour
It should be referred to as the Isles of Scilly, its official name, and not as it is sometimes referred to as the Scilly Isles.
History
In 1651 the isles were captured by Admiral Robert Blake for the Parliamentarians
External links
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|
Administrative counties with multiple districts: Cornwall - Devon - Dorset - Gloucestershire - Somerset - Wiltshire |