From the outside, life in a Scottish island might seem like a common experience. How different could living in Burray be to living in Barra, you might wonder? How much difference is there really between neighbouring islands like Coll and Tiree?
Viewing the islands from the mainland, they may appear very similar. Yet, when you live in the islands, the day-to-day realities can be very different – even between those a stone’s throw from each other.
The problem is, these differences are often overlooked, especially when islands are grouped together for policy, administrative or research purposes, and this can mean whole island communities get left by the wayside. I’ve felt the frustration of this first hand over many years living, working and volunteering in the islands.
Because, the truth of the matter is, there are stark differences between Scotland’s islands across areas such as population levels, economic base, education provision, ferry connections and infrastructure.