Isles of Scilly

The Isles of Scilly are small islands.

They sit in the sea near Cornwall. Many islands are in the group.

Most people live on one island called St Mary's. The sea keeps the islands warm. This helps farmers grow many bright flowers. A red squirrel lives on the island of Tresco. These islands are a very special place to see.

The Isles of Scilly are a group of small islands.

They sit in the sea off the tip of Cornwall. There are about 140 small islands and islets in total.

Most people live on the island of St Mary's. Many others live in Hugh Town.

Some people live on four other inhabited islands.

The islands were not always this way. Long ago, they may have been one big island. This land was called Ennor. Rising sea levels flooded the middle of the land. This happened around 400 to 500 AD. Now, the sea sits between the many islands. At low tide, the water is very shallow. People can sometimes walk between some of the islands.

The weather on the islands is quite special. The sea helps keep the air warm. It rarely gets very cold with frost or snow. This helps local farmers. They grow many cut flowers, like daffodils. You might even see a red squirrel on the island of Tresco.

The Isles of Scilly are a small group of islands in the sea.

They sit off the southwestern tip of Cornwall in England. The islands are part of the ceremonial county of Cornwall. Most people live on the island of St Mary's.

Many of those people live in a place called Hugh Town. Other people live on four different inhabited islands.

There are about 140 small islands and rocky islets in total.

These islands look very different today than they did long ago. Scientists believe the islands may have once been one large island. This land was likely called Ennor.

Between 400 and 500 AD, the sea levels began to rise. This flooded the central plains and split the land apart. Now, the sea sits between many small islands. At low tide, the water is shallow enough to walk between some of them. This history is part of many local legends about drowned lands.

Many different people have visited or lived on the islands. The Romans knew the islands by a different name.

In the year 385, people were even sent to the islands as a form of exile. Later, a Viking king named Olaf Tryggvason visited in 986. Legend says he met a wise man there who helped him become a Christian.

During the English Civil War, the islands were a busy place for ships. This led to a long dispute with the Netherlands known as the Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War.

Life on the islands is shaped by the ocean. The North Atlantic Current helps keep the air mild. Because of this, it rarely snows or frosts on the islands. This warm weather is great for farming. Farmers grow many cut flowers, such as daffodils, very early in the year. You might even see a red squirrel foraging in the woods on Tresco.

Today, the islands have their own local council. This group is called the Council of the Isles of Scilly. Most of the land is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. Tourism is a very important job for the people living there. People visit to see the beautiful sights and the many islands. It is a unique place where the land and the sea are always connected.

The Isles of Scilly are a small archipelago located off the southwestern tip of mainland Cornwall.

This group of islands is part of the ceremonial county of Cornwall. While they share some services with the mainland, they have maintained a separate local authority since 1890. Today, this body is known as the Council of the Isles of Scilly. The islands consist of about 140 small islands and rocky islets.

Most of the population lives on the island of St Mary's. Nearly half of the residents live in the town of Hugh Town. The 2021 United Kingdom census recorded a total population of approximately 2,100 people.

The geography of the archipelago has changed significantly over thousands of years. It is likely that the islands were once a single, much larger landmass. Some researchers believe this large island was named Ennor.

Between 400 and 500 AD, rising sea levels flooded the central plains. This process split the land into the 55 islands and islets seen today. Evidence for this ancient landscape includes prehistoric farm remains found on Nornour. Although Nornour is now a small, rocky skerry, it was once large enough for farming. You can even see ancient field walls below the high tideline near islands like Samson. At very low tides, the water becomes shallow enough for people to walk between some islands.

Many different cultures have left their mark on the islands throughout history. The Romans knew the archipelago by a Latinized name. They may have viewed the islands as a place of exile. For example, a man named Tiberianus from Hispania was banished there around 385 AD. The islands were also part of the Brittonic Celtic kingdom of Dumnonia. Later, the islands may have been part of the Welsh or Cumbrian regions. In 986, the Viking king Olaf Tryggvason visited the islands.

According to the Royal Sagas of Norway, he met a Christian seer there. This encounter reportedly led him to be baptized and change his ways.

The islands have also been shaped by major political conflicts. During the English Civil War, the islands were a site of military struggle. Parliamentarian forces eventually captured the islands after attacking Tresco and Bryher. They built Cromwell's Castle on Tresco using materials from an older platform. This older platform, now called King Charles's Castle, dates back to the 1550s. The islands also became involved in a long conflict with the Netherlands. This began in 1651 when Dutch Admiral Maarten Tromp demanded compensation for raids. This dispute became known as the Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War.

Maritime history has brought both tragedy and change to the archipelago. On the night of October 22, 1707, one of the worst maritime disasters in British history occurred near the islands. A fleet of 21 Royal Navy ships was traveling from Gibraltar to Portsmouth. Six of these ships were driven onto the cliffs. Four ships sank or capsized, resulting in at least 1,450 deaths. This included the commanding admiral, Sir Cloudesley Shovell. The islands may have also experienced inundation from the tsunami caused by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

The climate of the Isles of Scilly is heavily influenced by the North Atlantic Current. This ocean current has an ameliorating effect, meaning it makes the weather milder. Because of this, the islands rarely experience frost or snow. This mild weather is very important for the local economy. It allows farmers to grow cut flowers, specifically daffodils, much earlier than on the mainland. Agriculture and tourism are the two main parts of the local economy. You might see red squirrels foraging in the woods on Tresco.

Understanding the Isles of Scilly requires looking at how land, sea, and people interact. The archipelago is divided into five civil parishes or wards.

These are St Agnes, Bryher, Tresco, St Martin's, and St Mary's. The Duchy of Cornwall owns most of the freehold land on the islands. The name "Scilly" itself has an interesting history. It was originally written as "Sully" in 1176. In the 16th century, the letter "c" was added to the name. This was done to distinguish it from the word "silly," which was changing meaning from "happy" to "foolish" at that time.