St Martin's taken from the helicopter to Penzance
View from
Tresco, the second largest member of the Isles of Scilly
The 'Isles of Scilly' () form an
archipelago of islands off the southwesternmost tip of
England. Traditionally administered as part of the county of
Cornwall, the islands now have their own 'Council of the Isles of Scilly'. They are also designated the 'Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty'.
The islands are correctly referred to as the Isles of Scilly, or simply as Scilly; the terms "Scillies" and "Scilly Isles" are considered incorrect by locals.
Geography
The Isles of Scilly form an archipelago of six inhabited islands and numerous other small rocky islets (around 140 in total) lying 45 km (28 miles) off
Land's End – the
most westerly point in mainland England.
The table provides an overview of the most important islands:
(1) inhabited until 1855
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 the island of Britain. The largest agricultural product is cut flowers, mostly
daffodils. Exposure to
Atlantic winds means that 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.
As part of a 2002 marketing campaign, the plant conservation charity
Plantlife chose
Thrift as the
'county flower' of the islands.
[1]
History
Scilly has been inhabited since the
Stone Age and its history has been one of
subsistence living until the 20th century with people living off the land and the sea.
Farming and
fishing continue today, but the main industry now is
tourism.
The islands may correspond to the
Cassiterides (''Tin Isles'') visited by the
Phoenicians and mentioned by the
Greeks.
It is likely that until relatively recently the Isles were much larger with many of them joined into one island and that the land has subsided. Evidence for this includes:
★ 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).
★ King
Olaf I of Norway, came to
Syllingene as the isles were called in
Snorre Sturlason`s Royal Sagas of Norway. He came to see a fortuneteller, a
seer. This event eventually led to the christening of King Olav.
It is not known at exactly what time the islands stopped speaking
Cornish, but it seems to have gone into decline during the
Middle Ages, and lost the language before parts of
Penwith. The islands thus appeared to have lost the old Celtic language before parts of the mainland, in contrast to the situation of
Irish or
Scottish Gaelic.
During the
English Civil War, the isles were a stronghold for the
Royalists. It was during this period that the
Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War started between the isles and the
Netherlands. In June 1651, the isles were captured from the Royalists by
Admiral Robert Blake for the
Parliamentarians.
Scilly is famous for its danger to shipping and
its many shipwrecks. The wreck of
Sir Cloudesley Shovell's ship
HMS ''Association'' in 1707 off the Isles of Scilly due to inaccuracies in navigation led to the development of the
method of lunar distances, and to the invention of the
marine chronometer by
John Harrison, the first reliable methods of determining
longitude at sea.
The sea has always played a huge part in Scillonian history but it was in the 19th 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.
Former
Prime Minister Harold Wilson regularly holidayed on the Isles and eventually bought a cottage there as a holiday home. He is buried on St Mary's. His widow
Mary Wilson is still a frequent visitor.
Government
The flag of the Council of the Isles of Scilly.
The ''Scillonian Cross'', the unofficial flag of the Isles of Scilly.
Local government
Historically, the Isles of Scilly were administered as one of the
hundreds of Cornwall, although the Cornwall
quarter sessions had limited jurisdiction there.
The
Local Government Act 1888 allowed the
Local Government Board to establish in the Isles of Scilly ''"councils and other local authorities separate from those of the county of Cornwall"... "for the application to the islands of any act touching local government."'' Accordingly, in 1890 the ''Isles of Scilly Rural District Council'' (the RDC) was formed as a
sui generis unitary authority, outside the
administrative county of Cornwall. Cornwall County Council provided some services to the Isles, for which the RDC made financial contributions. Section 265 of the
Local Government Act of 1972 allowed for the continued existence of the RDC, but renamed as the ''Council of the Isles of Scilly''.
[ Isles of Scilly Cornwall through time ][ Isles of Scilly RD Cornwall through time ]
This unusual status also means that much administrative law (for example relating to the functions of local authorities, the health service and other public bodies) that applies in the rest of England applies in modified form in the Island.
[2]
With a total population of just over 2,000, the council represents fewer inhabitants than many English
parish councils, and is by far the smallest English unitary council. In 2002, there were 21 elected
councillors (all
independent), and some 164 staff were employed by the council. These numbers are significant in that almost 10 per cent of the population is directly linked to the council as either an employee or councillor.
[ Council of the Isles of Scilly Corporate Assessment December 2002 ]
For judicial,
shrievalty and
lieutenancy purposes the Isles of Scilly are "deemed to form part of the county of Cornwall".
[3]
National government
Politically, the islands are a fully integrated part of
England and hence of the
United Kingdom. They are represented in the
United Kingdom Parliament as part of the
St Ives constituency, currently held by
Andrew George of the
Liberal Democrats.
As part of the United Kingdom, the islands are part of the
European Union and are represented in the
European Parliament as part of the multi-member
South West England constituency. The Isles of Scilly are not the most remote part of this constituency, as it also includes the United Kingdom
dependent territory of
Gibraltar.
Flags
There are primarily two flags used to represent Scilly:
★ The flag of the Council of the Isles of Scilly, which incorporates their logo.
[ Isles of Scilly (United Kingdom) ]
★ The unofficial ''Scillonian Cross'', voted for by readers of ''Scilly News''
[ Isles of Scilly (United Kingdom) ][ How Do You Get A Scillonian Cross ]
An adapted version of the old Board of Ordnance flag has also been used, after it was left behind when munitions were removed from the isles. The Cornish Ensign has also been used.
[ Isles of Scilly (United Kingdom) ][ Cornwall (United Kingdom) ]
Subdivisions
The Isles of Scilly are subdivided into four
wards that have no administrative function, but only serve statistical purposes
[1]:
#St. Agnes
#St. Martin's
#St. Mary's
#Tresco
The list of
parishes, also without any administrative function since 1929, numbers five
[2]:
#Bryher
#St. Agnes
#St. Martin's
#St. Mary's
#Tresco
Economy
Historical context
Since the mid-eighteenth century the Scillionian economy has relied on trade with the mainland and beyond as a means of sustaining its population. Over the years the nature of this trade has varied, due to wider economic and political factors that have seen the rise and fall of industries such as
kelp harvesting,
pilotage,
smuggling,
fishing,
shipbuilding and, latterly,
flower farming. In a study of the Scillionian economy by Neate in 1987, it was found that many farms on the islands were struggling to remain profitable due to increasing costs and strong competition from overseas producers resulting in a diversification into
tourism. Recent statistics suggest that agriculture on the islands now represent less than 2 percent of all employment.
[4][5][6]
Tourism
Today, tourism is estimated to account for 85 per cent of the island's income. The islands have been efficient in attracting this investment due to its unique environment, favourable summer climate, relaxed culture, efficient co-ordination of tourism providers and good transport links by sea and air to the mainland, uncommon in scale to similar sized island communities.
[7][8] The majority of visitors stay on
St Mary's, which has a concentration of holiday accommodation and other amenities. Of the other inhabited islands,
Tresco is run as a timeshare resort, and is consequently the most obviously tourist-orientated.
Bryher and
St Martin's are more unspoilt, although each has a hotel and other accommodation.
St Agnes has no hotel and is the least developed of the islands.
However the level of dependency on tourism is high, even by the standards of other island communities. “The concentration [on] a small number of sectors is typical of most similarly sized UK island communities. However, it is the degree of concentration, which is distinctive along with the overall importance of tourism within the economy as a whole and the very limited manufacturing base that stands out.”
Due to its scale, tourism stands to justify the existence of many other island activities, for example, transport links to the mainland which could not be maintained with reduced visitor numbers. Therefore the implications of tourism are far ranging, as they essentially affect the sustainability of the whole community.
Tourism is also a highly seasonal industry due to its reliance on outdoor recreation, and the low level of tourist activity in winter causes a near shutdown of the islands during that season. However, the tourist season benefits from an extended period of business in October when many
birdwatchers (or birders) arrive. Because of its position, Scilly is the first landing for many migrant
birds, including extreme rarities from
North America and
Siberia.
Employment
The predominance of tourism means that ''"tourism is by far the main sector throughout each of the individual islands, in terms of employment… [and] this is much greater than other remote and rural areas in the United Kingdom”''. Tourism accounts for approximately 63 per cent of all employment.
Businesses dependent on tourism, with the exception of a few hotels, tend to be small enterprises typically employing fewer than 4 people and many of these are family run suggesting an entrepreneurial culture amongst the local population.
However, much of the work generated by this, with the exception of management, is low skilled and thus poorly paid, especially for those involved in cleaning, catering and retail.
[9]
Because of the seasonality of tourism, many jobs on the islands are seasonal and part time as work cannot be guaranteed throughout the year. Some islanders take up other temporary jobs ‘out of season’ to compensate for this. Due to a lack of local casual labour at peak holiday times, many of the larger employers accommodate guest workers who come to the islands for the summer to have a ‘working holiday’.
Transport
The islands are linked to the mainland by both air and sea services, and rely on boat services for inter-island connections. St. Mary's is the only island with a significant road network.
Helicopter from Penzance to the Isles of Scilly
By air, the islands are served by
St. Mary's Airport on the main island of St. Mary's and by
Tresco Heliport on the island of Tresco. The following air services currently operate:
★
Helicopter services, operated by
British International Helicopters, from
Penzance Heliport to St. Mary's Airport and Tresco Heliport.
[ British International home page ]
★
Fixed-wing aircraft services, operated by
Isles of Scilly Skybus, from various UK airports (
Land's End,
Newquay,
Exeter,
Bristol and
Southampton) to St Mary's Airport.
[ Isles of Scilly Travel - Travel by air ]
By sea, the
Isles of Scilly Steamship Company provides a passenger and cargo service from
Penzance to St Mary's. The other islands are linked to St. Mary's by a network of inter-island
launches.
[ Isles of Scilly Travel - Travel by sea ]
Real estate
The
freehold of the islands is the property of the British Crown (except for
Hugh Town on St Mary's, which was sold to the inhabitants in 1949). The crown estate on the islands is administered by the
Duchy of Cornwall. The duchy also holds as duchy property, part of the duchy's landholding.
[10]
Housing availability is a contentious yet critical issue for the Isles of Scilly, especially as it affects the feasibility of residency on the islands. Few properties are privately owned, with many units being let by the Duchy of Cornwall, the Council, and a few by
housing associations. The management of these subsequently impacts the possibility of residency on the islands.
[11]
Housing demand outstrips supply, a problem compounded by restrictions on further development designed to protect the islands unique environment and prevent the infrastructural carrying capacity from being exceeded. This has pushed up the prices fetched for the few private properties that become available, but significantly for the majority of the island's population, this has also impacted the rental sector where rates have likewise drastically increased.
[12][13]
High housing costs pose significant problems of affordability for the local population, especially as local incomes (in Cornwall) are only 70% of the national average, whilst house prices are almost £5,000 more than the national average. This in turn affects the retention of ‘key workers’ and the younger generation, which has a consequent impact upon the viability of the school(s) and other essential community services.
The access to housing provokes strong local politics. It is often assumed that tourism is to blame for this, attracting incomers to the area who can afford to out-price locals for available housing. Many buildings are used for tourist accommodation which reduces the number available for local residency. Second homes are also thought to account for a significant proportion of the housing stock, leaving many buildings empty for much of the year.
[14]
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
In 1975, the islands were designated as an
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The designation covers the entire archipelago, including the uninhabited islands and rocks, and is the smallest such area in the UK. The islands of Annet and Samson have large
terneries and the islands are well populated by
seals. The Isles of Scilly are the only British haunt of the
White-toothed Shrew.
The islands are famous amongst birdwatchers, especially
twitchers for their almost magnetic ability to attract rare birds from all corners of the globe. The peak time of year for this is generally in October when it is not unusual for several of the rarest birds in Europe to share this archipelago. One reason for the success of these islands in producing rarities is the extensive coverage these islands get from birdwatchers, but island archipelagos are favoured by rare birds which like to make landfall and eat before continuing their journeys and often arrive on far flung islands first.
Culture
People
Whilst there is little evidence to substantiate the claim, it is sometimes rather tenuously suggested, that the early inhabitants of the islands may have had a genetic link to the "Ancient British" who inhabited the islands long before the arrival of the Celts or Romans. The contemporary population is an eclectic mix of United Kingdom citizens, many from the Home Counties, and more recently temporary Eastern European sojourners. The criterion for claiming ones-self to be a ''"Scillonian"'' typically relies on proof of being "island-born". Recent evidence from Essex University indicates that the young indigenous Cornish are increasingly under represented in the demographic profile, having been economically and socially displaced by older mainland-incomers. Census and subjective observations suggest that the ethnic makeup of the islands is almost exclusively White.
Sport
One continuing legacy of the isles' past is
gig racing, wherein fast rowing boats ("gigs") with crews of six (or in one case, seven) race between the main islands. Gig racing has been said to derive from the race to collect
salvage from shipwrecks on the rocks around Scilly, but the race was actually to deliver a
pilot onto incoming vessels, to guide them through the hazardous reefs and shallows. (The boats are correctly termed "pilot gigs".)
The Isles of Scilly feature what is reportedly the smallest
football league in the world. The league's two clubs,
Woolpack Wanderers and
Garrison Gunners, play each other sixteen times a season and compete for two cups as well as the league title. The two share a ground, Garrison Field, but travel to the mainland for part of the year to play other non-professional clubs.
In December 2006,
Sport England published a survey which revealed that residents of the Isles of Scilly were the most active in England in sports and other fitness activities. 32% of the population participate at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes.
[ Active People Survey - national factsheet appendix (Microsoft Excel) ]
Media
There is a small transmitter relay on St.Mary's island, which covers
BBC Radio 1,
2,
3 &
4 as well as
BBC Radio Cornwall.
Radio Scilly, a community radio station, launched in September 2007. The
amateur radio station M1IOS also operates on the islands.
Only four of the
analogue television stations are relayed onto the islands (i.e.
Five is not covered).
DAB and
DVB/
Freeview are not currently receivable on the islands. This is hoped to change when digital switch-over happens in the
ITV Westcountry area in 2009, and transmissions from the
Redruth transmitting station are increased in power.
There is no local newspaper; however
Scilly News is a locally based website which captures items of community interest. A maximum
ADSL speed of 8
Mbit/s is available to all of the inhabited islands.
The Isles of Scilly were featured on the TV programme ''
Seven Natural Wonders'' as one of the wonders of South West England. In early 2007 the islands featured in the
BBC series
An Island Parish, following various real life stories but featuring the newly appointed ''Chaplain to the Isles of Scilly''. A new series is being filmed in 2007, and is due to air in 2008.
[ An Island Parish ]
Other
Scilly is a popular
scuba diving area.
References
1. County flower of Isles of Scilly
2. Examples include the Health and Social Care Act 2003 in which section 198 provides: "The Secretary of State may by order provide that this Act, in its application to the Isles of Scilly, is to have effect with such modifications as may be specified in the order." and the Environment Act 1995, section 117: "... nothing in this Act shall require or authorise any function, duty or power to be carried out, performed or exercised in relation to the Isles of Scilly by the (Environment) Agency; and references in the other provisions of this Act (apart from Part III) to England and Wales shall not include references to those Isles..."
3. Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c.70) section 216(2)
4. Gibson, F, ''My Scillionian Home… its past, its present, its future'', St Ives, 1980
5. ''Isles of Scilly Integrated Area Plan 2001-2004'', Isles of Scilly Partnership 2001
6. Neate, S, ''The role of tourism in sustaining farm structures and communities on the Isles of Scilly'' in M Bouquet and M Winter (eds) ''Who From Their Labours Rest? Conflict and practice in rural tourism'' Aldershot, 1987
7. ''Isles of Scilly Local Plan: A 2020 Vision'', Council of the Isles of Scilly, 2004
8. ''Isles of Scilly 2004, imagine…'', Isles of Scilly Tourist Board, 2004
9. J.Urry, ''The Tourist Gaze'' (2nd edition), London, 2002
10. Mitchel, Sandy. Duchy of Cornwall - Prince Charles' Backyard - Prince Charles - Not Your Typical Radical. National Geographic Magazine. May 2006:96-115. Map ref 104. Map source Duchy of Cornwall Property Services Department [3]
11. Martin D, 'Heaven and Hell', in ''Inside Housing'', 31st October, 2004
12. ''Sub Regional Housing Markets in the South West'', South West Housing Board, 2004
13. S. Fleming et al, ''“In from the cold” A report on Cornwall’s Affordable Housing Crisis'', Liberal Democrats, Penzance, 2003
14. The Cornishman, ''Islanders in dispute with Duchy over housing policy'', 19th August, 2004
External links
★
★
Isles of Scilly Tourist Information Centre Website
★
Isles of Scilly Forum - Board Scilly
★
Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Website
★
Scilly News - Local website with up to date news.
★
ScillyOnLine
★
Council of the Isles of Scilly
★
Tresco and Bryher
★
Postcards of the Isles of Scilly
★ http://www.scillywebcam.com A daily updated website with high quality photographs of Scilly.
★
★ http://www.gkershaw.co.uk A website by St Marys resident George Kershaw with lots of digital images of the Isles of Scilly.
★
Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Scilly
★ http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/m1ios/index.html Islands on the Air - Radio Station M1IOS - Islands of Scilly.
★ http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/godolphin.lodge/ - Freemasonry on Scilly -
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