It was by far the worst suicide blackspot region in the land, but now the rate at which people are killing themselves in the Highlands is dropping more dramatically than the rest of Scotland.

For the last few decades the Highlands region has had the unenviable position as having the most suicides in the country

Between 1978 and 1998, the male suicide rate in the 25 to 45 age group ran at almost 50 per 100,000 people, compared to just over 30 for Scotland as a whole. But it had been higher in all groups right up to 84 years when it becomes statistically insignificant.

It had been claimed the high rate was due to the number of people who head north from the rest of Britain, to take their life but statistics failed to back up that belief.

Reports also pointed to the fact more firearms were available in rural areas. There was also higher car ownership than elsewhere, and the geography of the area also provided plenty of locations for suicide by car exhaust or drowning.

But depression remained the commonest cause for suicide and that stigma continued to surround mental health. People were happy to go and talk to their GPs about their gut or heart problems, but were reluctant to talk about feeling down or anxious.

However things have improved markedly. The overall Highland suicide rate was 21.9/100,000 in 1989-1993, but by 2009-2013, the same rate was down to 16.5/100,000, a 24.6 per cent reduction. The Scottish equivalent rates were 15.9 and 14.5/100,000, an 8.8 per cent reduction.

Michael Perera NHS Highland's mental health projects manager said greater availablity for help was behind the dramatic reduction.

He said: "There has been a real drop cross Scotland but the decline in the Highland area is far steeper which is very welcome. The biggest single factor in this significant improvement in the Highlands has been an improved access to services to give help when people need it.

"Our main focus has been the NHS 24 Breathing Space, which is a free confidential, phone service for anyone in Scotland experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety. Every GP surgery promotes it in addition to the Samaritans. What Breathing Space does, however, is to connect those who have phoned into the caring services provision."

He said people facing some kind of personal crisis and finding it difficult to cope could for example be offered a guided self-help worker programme or cognitive therapy programme.

"Crucially it follows up any call and really engages with the distressed caller. That has been tremendously successful. We are now much more in line with the rest of Scotland."

He said that while the under 25s group still caused some concern, the group that was now causing most concern was the over 75s.

"This isn't just a Highland problem. What we think we are seeing is the effect of more broken marriages working its way through the figures," he said.

"As a result we have more people staying by themselves, losing contact with family members. So there are fewer protective factors. However services like 'silverline', the helpline championed by Esther Rantzen addressing loneliness among the elderly is of some help.

"Getting men to engage and ask for help remains challenging but there is far more awareness of the mental health needs of patients amongst all services now and this helps connect men to those who can offer support."