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The Isles of Scilly are located approximately twenty-eight miles South-West of the Southern tip of Cornwall, on the South-West coast of England. These beautiful islands are thought to have once been part of one singular and far larger island and, today, at low tide it’s possible to walk to and from several of the islands. Ancient Greek records of the discovery of an island, known as Cassiterides ( (Tin Isles), located in the area by the Phoenicians, and the remains of a prehistoric farm found on a tiny island, too small to house one, would seem to confirm this theory. It is believed that rising sea levels, as recently as 400-500 AD, would have resulted in the many smaller islands seen today.

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Evidence for the theory of a larger, singular island is as follows:

• A description in Roman times describes Scilly as “Scillonia insula” in the singular, as if there was an island much bigger than any of the others.
• Remains of a prehistoric farm have been found on Nornour, which is now a small rocky skerry far too small for farming.
• 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, e.g., Lyonesse.
• Ancient field walls are visible below the high tide line off some of the islands (e.g. Samson).
• Some of the Cornish language place names also appear to reflect past shorelines, and former land areas.

• The whole of southern England has been steadily sinking in opposition to post-glacial rebound in Scotland: this has caused the rias (drowned river valleys) on the southern Cornish coast, e.g. River Fal and the Tamar Estuary.

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isles_of_Scilly)

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Mysterious Claims:

Although unsubstantiated, it has also been claimed that early island inhabitants were genetically linked to the “Ancient British”, who would have inhabited the Scilly Isles even before the Ancient Celts arrived on the scene. Arthurian literature refers to a mythical, lost island: the supposed location of which lies off-shore, midway between Land’s End,in Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly themselves

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Only five of the islands, which are composed of granite rock from the Carboniferous age and have been populated since the Stone Age, are presently inhabited. The largest is home to 1,666 inhabitants and the smallest houses just 92 individuals. The uninhabited islands total around one hundred and forty.Early residents of TheIsles of Scilly – thevast majority of whom would have born there, andlived locally until they died – survived solely on what they could take from theland andthesearight up until the20th century. While themain industry is nowtourism, both fishing andfarming continue to this day. Nowadays, forsocial andeconomic reasons, residents of theScilly Isles areusually either Cornish or English, andarealmost exclusively white (99.6% of residents were Caucasian at thetime of thelast census).

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Geography:

The positioning of the islands means they experience very little frost or snow. Consequently, the farmers here are able to grow their agricultural products far earlier than is possible on the mainland. The chief agricultural export is cut daffodils.The islands often experience severe winter gales, which lash the northern sides of the islands, creating a stark contrast between the sub-tropical gardens found on the lush Southern side of Tresco the wind-lashed rocks and low-lying heather seen in the North.

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Nature:

The Isles of Scilly are the most isolated islands in Britain and are home to few mammals or snakes, making the area a paradise for birds, many of which migrate here in the autumn from across the Atlantic. The islands sit directly in the Transatlantic drift emanating from the Gulf stream and this provides a far more humid climate than is typical elsewhere in the UK. Scilly is home to several unique animals, one of which is the Scilly shrew and can be seen all over the islands, even on the beaches, and an array of native and exotic plants. They are also home to the world’s longest insects, the rare Prickly stick Insect and the Smooth Stick insect, which were introduced sometime during the 20th century, from their native New Zealand. The sea here is home to a range of creatures, from seals and dolphins to sea-urchins, starfish and plankton – many of which are not to be found elsewhere in the UK. The clear, shallow waters of the Atlantic house a vibrant, sparkling mass of sponges, coral and jewel anemones, surrounded by kelp forests and wild sea-grass, making Scilly a popular snorkeling and scuba diving destination. The entire group of islands has been officially recognised as an “Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty” and all are now protected conservation areas.

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History:

Inhabited since the Stone Age, the islands have a rich history including Viking attacks, frequent pirates raids, smuggling, and countless ship-wrecks. Not considered a part of England until after the middle ages, the Isles ofScilly were part of the Cornish Kingdom until the Norman conquest, after the Norse conqueror King Sweyn Forkbeard failed to claim them, as part of his Wessex realm.The islands were finally seized for the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War, in 1651, by Admiral Robert Blake, after previous attempts failed to capture them.At some point during the Middle Ages, residents of the Scilly Isles stopped speaking Cornish, but it is not known exactly when this occurred.

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The Scilly Isles are famous for being a danger to shipping and have been the cause of many ship-wrecks, including that of Sir Cloudesley Shovell’s HMS Association, and three more from the 1707 fleet. This catalogue of catastrophes led to the establishment of the Board of Longitude and, consequently, the invention of the first reliable methods of determining longitude at sea.

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Modern Development:

In 1843, the Duchy of Cornwall sold the lease on the islands to Augustus Smith for £20,000. Smith then went about evicting inhabitants who were unable to work locally, in much the same manner as was practised in the Scottish clearances. He turned one of the islands into a deer park, after expelling ten residents. Unfortunately, the deer didn’t take to their new habitat and promptly escaped!

Although many of Smith’s actions were unpopular among the islanders, he was also responsible for some beneficial changes: he built a new quay on St. Mary’s and gorse and trees were planted to provide agricultural protection. He was also the first to introduce compulsory schooling anywhere in Britain, charging a penny a day for attendance, and tuppence for a day off!

The beautiful beaches now frequented by tourists were once factories for a successful ship-building empire and the harbours now visited by pleasure-boats would once have been teeming with fishing and trading boats.

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Amusing Fact:

The Isles of Scilly are home to what is likely to be the smallest football league in the world. There are just two clubs, the Woolpack Wanderers and Garrison Gunners, who share a ground and compete against each other for the league title, playing each other seventeen times each season! 

According to a 2006 survey residents of the Isles of Scilly are the most active in England, with 32% of the population playing sport or taking part in a fitness activity for at least 1.5 hours per week.

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The Scilly Isles Today

The islands, being among the most beautiful areas in the UK, have been a popular holiday resort since the 20th century and have attracted visitors including the former British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, who is buried on St. Mary’s.

It’s possible to take helicopter rides or boat-trips around the islands in the hope of spotting wild-life, such as puffins, seals, and dolphins. In the autumn, visitors come to see the large numbers of migratory birds, for whom the islands are the first port of call, on their journey to Southern Europe.