There are ways of attracting and retaining diverse rural populations.
Retaining rural populations is a topic of considerable importance and concern for Scotland and more widely across Europe and beyond. Mike Andrews and Ben Jones provided insight into the policy context for Scottish Government. This has placed emphasis on the importance of balance within Scotland’s populations, with rural and island depopulation as a key challenge. The Catherine MacNeil survey showed amongst those who had moved to, or back to, the region, 36% cited better quality of life as a main reason, and this was especially so for those moving to rural and island locations. Access to services, housing and digital connectivity were noted as key challenges to overcome in attracting and retaining local populations. It drew out the importance and interconnected nature of access to people, places and feelings of belonging in retaining rural populations. Feedback from the discussions emphasised the importance of joined up and collaborative approaches, linking work across different policy areas and bringing together national and local government, local stakeholders and communities. The need for a learning approach was highlighted, where different people and institutions are really listening to and can gain from each other’s insights. There was a call for better access to evidence that is current and sufficiently nuanced to reflect the complexity of people’s lives and how these impact on decisions.