Scottish Islands Survey 2023: main findings report

Highlights

What is the report about?

The report summarises key findings of the Scottish Islands Survey (2023), which gathered views about different aspects of island life from Scottish island residents. The topics explored in the survey align with the objectives set out in the Scottish Government’s National Islands Plan (2019), including housing, transport, economic development and communities, plus a focus on how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting island residents. The results will contribute to measuring progress towards the objectives set out in the National Islands Plan (2019) as well as the development of a new National Islands Plan to be published in 2025. The 2023 survey builds on data gathered in the National Islands Plan Survey (2020).

What did we do?

In November 2023, 20,000 surveys were posted to adult residents of 75 permanently inhabited islands, with options to answer the questions on paper, by telephone or online, in English or Gaelic. A total of 4,358 people from 66 islands responded to the survey, giving a response rate of 22%.

What did we learn?

Experiences of island life vary considerably both between and within regions. For instance, residents of Orkney and Shetland Mainlands and their connected islands are much more likely to report good internet connectivity than residents of Orkney and Shetland Outer Islands. Respondents in the Argyll Islands have lowest satisfaction with the availability, variety and affordability of housing, while respondents in Shetland Outer Islands are most likely to report that there is enough housing and that it is affordable. Respondents in the Uists and Barra are least likely to say there is access to good quality secondary education, and respondents in Shetland (Mainland and Connected as well as the Outer Islands) are most satisfied with this measure. Access to childcare scores very poorly in Orkney Outer Islands and relatively highly in Shetland Mainland and Connected Islands.

Differences are also noted between age groups. The youngest group of respondents (aged 18 to 35) is least satisfied with current housing and availability of housing options and has lower mental wellbeing but feels more empowered than other age groups when it comes to influencing the decisions made by community organisations.

Since the previous survey in 2020, residents’ perceptions of public transport, housing availability, fuel poverty and sense of community have declined, and islanders are less confident in their ability to address these challenges by influencing national and regional institutions (such as local authorities and health boards). More positively, access to fast internet connections and participation in community events have increased and young people are more likely to say they will stay in their island in the medium term.

Comparisons with Scotland show that more islanders live within a short walk of green or blue outdoor spaces and attend cultural events than in Scotland as a whole. On the other hand, sense of belonging is lower in the islands and fewer islanders are managing well financially.

Next steps

Further spotlight reports and an interactive data explorer will be published later on in the year. The dataset will be placed in the UK Data Archive for further analysis by researchers.