Delegates have begun a campaign for the islands to have a greater say in shaping their own future, writes David Ross

THEY could hardly have chosen a more appropriate setting. In a Mull hotel yesterday, representatives of Scotland's islands took the first steps to establish a campaigning organisation to represent the views of the 95 inhabited isles.

If it succeeds, their voice will be heard more loudly in the corridors of power in Inverness, Edinburgh, London, and Brussels.

Few present would have known that, just below the Isle of Mull Hotel, two island men lost their lives more than 40 years ago, as they went out in a storm to bail the ferry boat that acted as a tender to the steamers that plied the route to Oban.

They were simply trying to safeguard the sort of transport links taken for granted on the mainland, a cruel metaphor for the true cost of island life.

Yesterday, as conference delegates looked out towards the old Maclean seat of Duart Castle, they could see Craignure's multi-million pound linkspan for CalMac's roll-on, roll-off ferry, which has long provided a safe modern service to Oban. Next door, the finishing touches were being put to Mull and Iona's £2m swimming pool.

The islands have come a long way but those present were determined that people who live on them should now be allowed to help shape their future as a defence against depopulation.

One delegate, Alastair Fleming from Luing, told The Herald: "We only have 200 people and our voice has simply not been loud enough. For 10 years, we have been campaigning to get a bridge or tunnel between our island and Seil to allow us 24-hour access to the mainland. We were very aware that it was other islanders on the council and elsewhere who have helped us. So this is a move that is long overdue."

He was not alone. The conference heard the results of a unique survey of Scottish island opinion which found that almost 90% of islanders believe all 95 islands should be brought together to speak with a common voice on issues that affect them, a voice that could not be ignored by politicians.

The same percentage want a new islands committee to be established by the Scottish Parliament, while almost 77% believe there should be at least one minister with clear responsibility for our islands.

The 52 responses to the survey represented the most significant samples yet of island opinion, embracing voluntary organisations, community councils, local authority representatives, businesses, environmental and research organisations and development agencies, as well as individual islanders. Submissions were also received from islanders living on the mainland.

There was overwhelming support for the Scottish Government's forthcoming pilot scheme on road equivalent tariff, which should help reduce ferry fares. Some 88% of respondents agreed there should be a commitment at national and regional level for island ferry and air transport to be considered an extension of the national roads network.

There was a similarly enthusiastic embrace for the idea from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, unveiled last year, that there should be a "New Deal" or "Compact" for Scotland's islands, with equality between them and the mainland in terms of living costs and access to services.

There was an even clearer demand for islanders to be given their place by the authorities. A remarkable 96% wanted official recognition that islanders are central to the sustainability of their environment, and that this should be recognised in environmental and planning policies. There should also be a statutory requirement for local authorities to produce a strategic development plan for individual islands in their control, with full local involvement, it was said.

The issue of ministerial or parliamentary representation for islands has been raised before, not least because of the experience of our near neighbours.

Although Ireland has only 33 main inhabited islands and just over 3000 islanders, compared with Scotland's 95, which boast a population of nearly 100,000, it was Ireland not Scotland (nor the UK) which made special government provision for its islands.

An inter-departmental committee was established in 1993. Then, when the Irish Rural Affairs Department was established in 1997, it had a special "island section", with senior civil servants having responsibility for island development.

The conference yesterday heard from Mairead O'Reilly, manager of the Irish Islands Federation, which represents 33 islands.

She said islands working together could achieve much. "One of our success stories was to persuade the national tourist board to run a marketing campaign for Ireland's islands, set up a website and produce brochures," she went on.

"Agencies do that because they are comfortable working with an umbrella group (for islands). Nobody is going to come and say they did it wrongly, because we are speaking as one body."

How the land lies now...
LEWIS AND HARRIS
The Hebridean islands combined are by far the most populated in Scotland, with more than 20,000 inhabitants, almost one-fifth of the collective islands' population.

MAINLAND ORKNEY
Orkney comprises around 70 islands but Mainland is the largest. Its population has been steadily rising since 1981. Most of Mainland Orkney's residents live in Kirkwall.

SKYE
Has one of the largest island populations with 9232 living there in 2001, which is 4232 over the critical poulation mass recommended by the European Commission's statistical agency.

MAINLAND SHETLAND
It has maintained a steady population since 1991, with 17,550 recorded living there in 2001. Shetland saw an increase in population of 27% between 1971 and 1981 as the oil industry expanded but this has not been repeated in recent years.

BUTE
In 2001, Bute had a population of 7149. The island's population dropped steadily by 14% in the 1960s and 70s, slowing down to around 3% in recent years. Most of Bute's residents live in Rothesay.

ARRAN
The largest island in the Firth of Clyde covers 167 square miles and has experienced an increase in population of more than 600 in the last decade.

BENBECULA
The island witnessed one of the biggest drops in population with a loss of 552 from 1771 inhabitants (31.2%). The only other island to have had a higher percentage loss was Ulva, off the west coast of Mull, which lost 14 residents (46.6%).

VATERSAY
Has enjoyed a 23.4% increase in residents in the last decade and young residents make up almost one-third of the island's population, with 32% under 16.

FAIR ISLE
Has retained a steady population over the last 40 years, with only a 3% loss recorded in 2001. Nearly 29% of residents are under 16.

EASDALE
The island 16 miles south of Oban has undergone one of the fastest percentage population increases, with a rise of 41% in inhabitants - from 41 to 58 - in the last decade.