Almost 50 years ago the legendary ceilidh play The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil began touring round community halls in tiny villages in the Highlands and islands. Bill Paterson played the character McChuckemup, a gallus Glasgow entrepreneur who described these remote places as having “hee-haw but scenery”. If that was true then it is even more so today, particularly in our islands. In that half a century 12 of the 29 in the Outer Hebrides have become uninhabited and last year the number of children born in Western Isles hospitals dropped again, down a quarter in just four years.
The Scottish Government is researching what needs to be done for island survival. But surely it’s obvious? Good job opportunities, not just seasonal tourism, and decent and affordable housing allied to sustainable transport links. In too many places second homes and the Airbnb scourge has priced out young people, so they perpetuate the leaving. There is, too, the perennial issue of land ownership and the large estates which contribute little to local economies.
There are successful local examples of recovery, in parts of Colonsay and West Harris where local control of land and marine assets, together with building affordable homes has encouraged young people to remain or return. These need to be built upon and, yes, this will require investment from government and, if necessary, compulsory purchase powers to ensure that housing and businesses are set up.
Our islands are a precious part of our history, but also an essential part of our future. They must become a backdrop to growth and revival, not just beautiful images on a calendar or for selfies on a deserted cockle strand.
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