Category: Research

CoDeL was invited to present on the Uist experience to the Cross-Party Group at the end of October 2019.  This was an opportunity to present evidence rooted in island experience at the micro-level as a counterpoint to national projections, based on historic trends, which are particularly dire for the Western Isles. 

This reinforced the insights from the Islands Revival Declaration: ‘We affirm there is credible evidence of ‘green shoots’ of population turnaround in the Scottish Islands, which as yet does not show up in official statistics’ .

The full report can be downloaded and read here:

Additional information regarding the day, including the other participants, can be seen on the SRUC website.

The common perception is that island populations are in decline and that lack of jobs is the key driver behind such decline. On the other hand, surveys reveal that the Highlands and Islands are the best place in Scotland to live and more young people want to stay or settle there, while many island jobs remain unfilled. So what do we make of these apparent contradictions? Continue reading “Conundrums on Population Trends: Happiness, young people, children, jobs”

Follow our new blog Islands Revival collecting stories of population turnaround on islands, and identifying ways of supporting such developments through policy and action.  We already have three great posts on Uist, Eigg and Mull/Iona. Continue reading “Turning the Tide on island population”

CoDeL’s study of 469 young people on Uist shows a trend of young economically active islanders returning or staying, and young people new to Uist settling on the islands.  Just as significant, many of these young people have children. Continue reading “Young People on Uist in the Outer Hebrides”