Trends in Rural Scotland: a working paper (2025)

2. Transport

Weekly travel costs in different Minimum Income Standard budgets

For all Minimum Income Standard (MIS) budgets, the remote Scottish Mainland has the highest weekly travel costs when compared to the UK and Scottish islands. Travel costs are increasing across all Minimum Income Standard (MIS) budgets for remote areas (except for island pensioners).

Percentage (%) of population within a 15-minute drive time by public transport to key services (e.g. General Practice)

The percentage of the population within a 15-minute drive time by public transport to a shopping center in 2022 was lowest in accessible rural areas at 22%, followed closely by remote rural areas at 29%. This is significantly lower than the rest of Scotland figure at 81%. For remote rural areas, the percentage figure has increased from 2006-2020, by 9 percentage points, while accessible rural areas have seen a decrease of 1 percentage point in the same time frame.

The percentage of the population within a 15-minute drive time by public transport to a post office in 2022 was lowest in remote rural areas at 63%, followed closely by accessible rural areas at 68%. This is significantly lower than the rest of Scotland figure at 96%. For remote rural areas, the percentage figure has maintained from 2006-2020, despite a decrease from 2006-2009, while accessible rural areas have seen a decrease of 10 percentage point in the same time frame.

The percentage of the population within a 15-minute drive time by public transport to a GP in 2022 was lowest in remote rural areas at 40%, followed closely by accessible rural areas at 47%. This is significantly lower than the rest of Scotland figure at 92%. For remote rural areas, the percentage figure has marginally increased from 2006-2020 by 2 percentage points, while accessible rural areas have seen a decrease of 8 percentage point in the same time frame.

How easy or difficult people find it to afford transport costs

People found it easier to afford transport costs across all areas of Scotland in 2023 compared to 2022. The percentage of people who found it easy to afford transport costs across all of Scotland increased from 64% to 70% in this time. There were increases across all rural areas. The greatest change in perceived affordability of transport costs was in remote rural areas (up 27 percentage points) and remote small remote towns (up 19 percentage points).

Satisfaction with the quality of public transport

Satisfaction with public transport is much lower in accessible rural (46%) and remote rural (47%) areas compared to large urban areas (72%). The satisfaction rate had declined in all areas of Scotland between 2013 and 2022. However, in 2023, there was an increase to 64% from the 2022 rate of 58% for Scotland.