Scilly, Isles of

Group of 140 islands and islets lying 40 km/25 mi southwest of Land's End, England; administered by the Duchy of Cornwall; area 16 sq km/6.3 sq mi; population (2001) 2,150. The five inhabited islands are St Mary's, the largest, on which Hugh Town, capital of the Scillies is situated; Tresco, the second largest, with subtropical gardens; St Martin's, noted for its beautiful shells; St Agnes; and Bryher. The islands are designated areas of outstanding natural beauty, heritage coasts, and conservation areas; under the European Union Habitats directive they are also a Marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Produce includes vegetables and early spring flowers. Tourism is important and the islands are a famous birdwatching centre.

Early history
The islands are crowded with prehistoric burial chambers, menhirs (upright stone monuments), and hut villages. It is thought that the stone-chambered barrows located on the island may have been the home of the dead referred to in Celtic mythology. The islands contain remains of Bronze Age settlements; remains of the walls from an early field system are visible below sea level. Tin was worked in Cornwall in the early Iron Age and in Roman times, and the islands were used for export. The English antiquary William Camden (1551–1623) identified the Scilly Isles with the fabled islands called the Cassiterides, ‘tin islands’ which were visited by Phoenician traders. There are numerous wreck sites off the islands including those of Cloudesley Shovell's fleet (1707).