Isles of Scilly
Native name: Syllan | |
|---|---|
 Scillonian Cross flag | |
 The Isles of Scilly (red; bottom left corner) within Cornwall (light yellow) | |
| Geography | |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 49°55′N 6°18′W / 49.92°N 6.30°W ISO Code: GB-IOS |
| OS grid reference | SV8912 |
| Archipelago | British Isles |
| Adjacent to | Celtic Sea Atlantic Ocean |
| Total islands | 5 inhabited, 140 others |
| Major islands | |
| Area | 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi) (293rd) |
| Highest elevation | 51 m (167 ft) |
| Highest point | Telegraph |
| Administration | |
| Status | Sui generis unitary |
| Country | England |
| Region | South West |
| Ceremonial county | Cornwall |
| Capital and largest city | Hugh Town (pop. 948 2021 census.) |
| Leadership | Joel Williams |
| Chief executive | Russell Ashman |
| MP | Andrew George (Lib Dem) |
| Demographics | |
| Demonym | Scillonian; Cornish |
| Population | 2,366 (2024 · 296th) |
| Pop. density | 145/km2 (376/sq mi) |
| Languages | English, Cornish |
| Ethnic groups | 93.7% White British 3.7% Other White 1.1% Mixed 0.3% Asian 0.2% Black 0.9% Other groups |
| Additional information | |
| Official website | www |
| Designated | 13 August 2001 |
| Reference no. | 1095 |
The Isles of Scilly (/ˈsɪl.i/, SIL-ee; Cornish: Syllan) are a small archipelago in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, 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".
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.
