Highland depopulation: no ‘simple fix’ says minister

New Census data, released last week by the Scottish Government, threw up a few headline-grabbing statistics.

The one that attracted the most column inches and TV airtime revealed that for the first time most Scots do not have a religion.

The Church of Scotland, the once-dominant Presbyterian church, was the most heavily affected by the surge in secularism.

Less attention, in the wider UK media, was given over to statistics showing that depopulation in areas of the Highlands and Islands is worse than feared.

Almost half of the council wards in the Scottish Highlands have experienced a decline in their populations over the past ten years.

The largest decreases were in Inverness Millburn (down 8.2%) and Thurso and Northwest Caithness (down 7.0%).

This contrasts sharply with Inverness South, where the population has risen by 27.7% while the neighbouring ward of Badenoch and Strathspey, which includes Aviemore, declined by 6.5%.

Thurso is among the areas at risk of depopulation (Image: Agency)

The area, which falls within the Cairngorms National Park, has lost two primary schools in recent years.

Highland Council is now forecasting that secondary schools will lose almost a quarter of pupils within the next 15 years unless there is substantial in-migration of families.

The latest figures follow The Herald's agenda-setting series which examined the reasons why areas of the Highlands and Islands are being "drained of people".

Our article highlighting the "dire" new statistics prompted commentary on X about the possible reasons and solutions for depopulation.

Never far away in these discussions is the accusation that the blame lies with wealthy internal migrants from England, buying up property in the Highlands and Islands for second homes or short-term lets, which leads to local people being priced out.

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A lone voice in this narrative came from Douglas Lindsay who said that Galloway, "a place often overlooked by Scots" is experiencing large immigration from England, has bolstered the population.

"Without this, it could be worse than the remote north," he said.

Adding another layer to the debate, The Herald recently highlighted analysis suggesting that areas heavily populated by short-term lets in Argyll and Bute were less likely to have experienced population decline. 

Jamie Stone, Liberal Democrat MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, says there is less "high quality" employment in the far north. Families vote with their feet, he says, and move away.

Tourism is the bedrock of the Highland economy and a major employer but there can be a push-pull relationship in rural communities.

The North Coast 500 has undoubtedly helped hotels in the villages dotted around the road route but local people are less enthused about the influx of motorhomes and speeding cars.

Depopulation is now being used to make the case for new and often controversial developments.

Read more:

• Paul McLennan: 'No quick fixes to the challenges that lead to population decline'
• 'This is a real place not a postcard - the challenges of Highland life' 
• Reversing Highland crisis requires policy makers to 'move heaven and earth'

The group that is leading plans for a new golf course at Coul Links East Sutherland argue that the development itself and the investment it attracts will attract more people into the area.

However, it has been called in by the Scottish Government amid concerns over the environmental impact on the protected area.

Not Coul, which is opposing the development, says rural areas need enterprises that provide "stable, year-round employment".

Discord between developers and rural communities is nothing new and another row has erupted over the restoration of Kinloch Castle on the Isle of Rum. A balance needs to be struck to ensure that local people don't feel that people with little understanding of rural life are making decisions for them.

Paul McLennan, Minister for Housing, said the community-owned Isle of Eigg is a strong example of an island that has effectively turned the tide on depopulation.

While census data showed there were 131 people living in Eigg in 2001, there are now 170 – and the population is growing. 

He cites the example of An Laimhrig, or the Green Shed, a local community hub which received Scottish Government funding, which is helping small, local businesses flourish.

Ensuring that communities thrive is as much about amenities as jobs and housing.

Responding to The Herald's article on the latest Census figures on X Donald Farmer said his family lived in rural Argyll "but like several families, moved closer to a city as our son grew for more access to cultural and social amenities."

Visiting Kinlochleven in Lochaber for The Herald series The New Highland Clearances, young people expressed frustration that they is not much for them to do.

Ingrid Prokopova, 16, who moved with her family to the village five years ago, said:"There is nothing for older children," she says. "We can't go to the bar, we can't go anywhere," she says. "We've got nowhere to go.

A new plan, part-funded by Highland Council, is being taken forward to try to address this and other challenges, based on an ideas day that was held in the village.

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Children asked for a swimming pool, go-karts "a big cafe with outdoor seating" and soft play, activities that shouldn't just be accessible to those who live in cities.

Scottish historian Professor Sir Tom Devine says the migration of people from rural areas to the cities is as inevitable now as it was 200 years ago.

It's about ensuring people in rural areas aren't forced to leave to live fulfilling lives.