Reversing population decline?
CoDeL presented on its research at the annual gathering of the Scottish Islands Federation in September 2018 on the beautiful island of Tiree. Some island communities are clearly bucking the trend of population decline.
The Isle of Eigg has experienced a 60 percent increase in population since the community bought the island in 1997 (see also this video).
We also heard that on
Orkney, a third of students from Orkney who graduate from college or
university off the islands, now return to their island home within
six months.
And on Mull, the population of the village Ulva Ferry has increased by 10 percent because of a small community-led housing development. And through an appropriate local letting policy for the houses six new children will be joining the local primary school, thus enabling the school to stay open.