Isles of Scilly AONB
This scattering of tiny granite islands 45 km off Land's End is the smallest of all the AONBs. In terms of the variety, environmental quality and beauty of its marine landscape, the AONB is outstanding. It ranges from white quartz sand beaches with jewel-green shallows to dunes and sheer rugged cliffs. In the lee of the Atlantic gales, sub-tropical gardens, brilliant with rare trees and flowers, contrast with the low bare inland heather plateaux.
The Scillies are famous as a landfall for rare migrating birds, and the uninhabited off-islands in particular shelter some of Britain's most important bird populations. The warm clear lagoons between the islands are home to seals and porpoises and the intertidal zones are an exceptional marine habitat.
The islands have been settled since Neolithic times and are rich in archaeological sites. Only five of the islands are inhabited, St Mary's being the largest with a population of 1,600 in a total island population of 1,960. The three main economic activities are tourism, early flowers with market gardening, and fishing. The limited scale, revenue and resource base of the islands means inevitable economic limitations.
Tourism use of the AONB contributes as much as 85 per cent of the local economic revenue, and focuses in particular on the natural environment. It ranges from local bird spotting and fishing trips to flora and fauna nature tours, underwater safaris and a windsurfing centre. Local recreational use of the coast is also high and the majority of residents own small craft.
For further information, visit the Isles of Scilly AONB website (www.ios-aonb.info/).
Content supplied by the National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (www.aonb.org.uk/)
