YOUNG PEOPLE and families are to be offered access to a £5 million fund to encourage them to stay in or move to islands currently threatened by depopulation.

The Scottish Government this week launched a consultation seeking views from people across Scotland on the proposed Islands Bond, which would give people up to £50,000 to buy, build or renovate homes, start businesses and otherwise make their lives for the long-term in island communities.

The consultation will run for 12 weeks from August 2 until October 24, and has been launched to ensure that the Bond provided is meaningful and works for all the islands.

Islands Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “The Islands Bond will help us to deliver on some of the commitments from the National Islands Plan. It’s a way for us to address some of the key financial barriers for people who want to live on our islands.

“Each of our islands are unique and this consultation will help us understand some of the population challenges across our islands and make sure that we can properly address them," she continued. "It will also provide information to enable us to set up a relocation support or advisory service and make the move for people as smooth as possible.

“I’d encourage people across Scotland, especially those on our islands, to provide a response to this consultation and make sure their voices are heard to help shape the Bond.

“As well as delivering this consultation, we’ll continue to engage with local authorities, island communities and other relevant stakeholders as we develop the bond,” she concluded.