During the discovery and naming of the plants in the British Isles in the 18th and 19th centuries, botanists became aware of a small number of localities that were particularly rich in rare species. These remarkable areas include Upper Teesdale in northern England, Ben Lawers in the Central Highlands of Scotland, the Burren, Co. Clare, in the west of Ireland, the Brecklands in East Anglia and the Lizard in Cornwall.