National Islands Plan: implementation route map 2022

Ministerial Foreword

As Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, I am pleased to present the first revision of the National Islands Plan Implementation Route Map, following its initial publication in 2021.

The Implementation Route Map details how Scottish Government are delivering our priorities over the lifetime of the National Islands Plan. It is designed to be a living document that will be continually updated and adapted, in recognition of the fact that priorities for island communities can change, enabling it to respond to fresh challenges as they arise.

Whilst the original iteration of the Route Map gave us a vision for what success would look like when all the commitments in the National Islands Plan were delivered, the 2022 revision has allowed us to take a more forward-looking and action-focussed approach. You will now find specific, detailed actions that will be taken across Scottish Government in order to deliver on the National Islands Plan commitments and therefore demonstrating how we will continue to contribute to improvements across our islands.

2021 also saw the welcome introduction of our National Islands Plan Delivery Group, who you can read more about in this publication. Our Delivery Group members hold a key role in shaping delivery of the National Islands Plan and will be instrumental in ensuring there is accountability and true collaboration with our island communities. They will also take an active role in reviewing the Route Map to ensure the proposed actions are genuinely delivering on their associated commitments, for island communities.

Our islands are profoundly important and we want them to thrive. The ongoing development and continuous review of the Implementation Route Map provides the basis for continued improvement across our islands in collaboration with stakeholders and most importantly, our island communities.

Mairi Gougeon MSP

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands