To reimagine island and rural living, we need look no further than the young adults who are returning, staying, settling in these areas. They come with fresh energy and vision, often focused on opportunities and enterprise, and embrace challenge. Many bring young families who sustain our communities and schools.
So let’s listen to their voices. From next week we will be launching weekly reflections, on our social media, from young islanders, especially in Uist, but also elsewhere … on community and family, Gaelic language and culture, housing, work, health and inclusion, the climate emergency and many other topics.
You can listen to many young island voices in the podcasts on CoDeL’s website at http://codel.scot/young-uist-voices and http://codel.scot/island-voices, put together by Alana, a young islander from Uist herself.
And you can watch the recent film The Rhythm of Uist, “a lyrical meditation that takes the audience to the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, immersing them in the sphere of life for three young adults who have grown up in these unique and cultural islands”. And another recent video here reflects a very modern new business on Uist.
Embracing challenges, seeking out opportunities.