Isles of Scilly

The Isles of Scilly (, SIL-ee; Cornish: Syllan) are a small archipelago in Cornwall, England, approximately 45 km (28 mi) south-west of Land's End. One of the islands, St Agnes, is over four miles (six kilometres) further south than the most southerly point of the British mainland at Lizard Point, and has the southernmost inhabited settlement in Cornwall and the UK, Troy Town. The total population of the islands at the 2021 United Kingdom census was 2,100 (rounded to the nearest 100). A majority live on one island, St Mary's, and close to half live in Hugh Town; the remainder live on four inhabited "off-islands". People have lived on the islands since at least the Iron Age, and the Romans knew them as Sillina. Rising sea levels flooded low-lying land, and the islands were probably once much larger, possibly a single island. In the Middle Ages they belonged to Tavistock Abbey, which founded a priory on Tresco. During the English Civil War they were a Royalist base until Parliament captured them in 1651. In 1707, four Royal Navy ships were wrecked off the islands, and at least 1,450 people died. Most of the islands were held on lease, first by the Godolphin family and later by the Smith family, until 1920, when they passed back to the Duchy of Cornwall. The islands are known for pilot gig racing, a rowing sport that began with crews racing to put pilots on ships. The World Pilot Gig Championships are held there every year over the May Day bank holiday weekend. The islands have what is reportedly the world's smallest football league. A 2006 survey found that residents were the most active in England for sport and fitness. Rock climbing and bouldering on the granite coast have been practised since 1977. The islands have also featured on television, including in the BBC series An Island Parish. Scilly forms part of the ceremonial county of Cornwall and was historically one of the hundreds of Cornwall. Since 1890, the islands have had their own local authority, the Council of the Isles of Scilly, which is administratively separate from the mainland Cornwall Council, although some services are provided by it. The adjective "Scillonian" is sometimes used for people or things related to the archipelago. The Duchy of Cornwall owns most of the freehold land on the islands. Tourism is a major part of the local economy along with agriculture, particularly the production of cut flowers.

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