Social scientists from SRUC are helping to highlight examples of population turnaround on Scottish islands.

Led by the James Hutton Institute with further support from Community Land Scotland and CoDeL (Community Development Lens) Scotland, the Islands Revival project is collecting success stories to raise the profile of demographic recovery in offshore settings. It also aims to identify ways of ensuring such developments are supported by island policy.

The Scottish islands are often regarded as places where population is ageing and in decline, with younger islanders leaving for education and employment opportunities elsewhere.

However, recent anecdotal evidence suggests that, on some islands at least, the tide may be turning, with young people increasingly choosing to stay, return or relocate to island homes.

Dr Jane Atterton, who is working on the project with Rural Policy Centre colleague Dr Rob Mc Morran, said: “We are very pleased to be involved in this exciting project. Most ‘official’ statistics point to…

Continue at Scotland’s Rural College

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