Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

The Isles of Scilly are the smallest AONB designation in the UK. However, the Islands possess a diversity of scenery that belies their small scale. Panoramas of sea and sky are punctuated by lenses of low-lying land. The archipelago combines rugged granite cliffs and headlands,sparkling sandy bays, hidden coves, shifting dunes and saline lagoons. Over 6,000 years of human occupation has led to the development of the lowland heath, enclosed pasture, hedged bulb-strips, small harbours’ and quays, and scattered rural settlement punctuated by tiny townships.

The AONB designation recognises that people are an important part of the landscape, ensuring that its resources are protected, managed and capable of evolving in a sustainable way. Indeed landscape conservation and economic prosperity are inseparably tied in Scilly.