A leading rural organisation says ‘tangible action rather than discussion’ is required to address rural population decline.

The comments came after the launch of the ‘Addressing Depopulation Action Plan’ which commits the Scottish Government to working with Youth Scotland and the Young Islanders Network (YIN) to develop ideas to support and encourage young people to remain on, move to or return to the islands.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon launched YIN in August 2022 to provide children and young people living in island communities with a platform to make their voices heard, contribute to the implementation of the Scottish Government’s National Islands Plan and engage with each other on issues that matter to them.

READ MORE | Scottish Government publish plan to halt rural depopulation

Ms Gougeon said: “If we are going to address population decline, we need to work with and listen to young people living in rural areas and on islands to develop the right solutions and help them fulfil their ambitions.

“By working with the YIN, Youth Scotland and the Scottish Rural and Island Youth Parliament we have a real chance to remove the barriers that stop young people from enjoying all the benefits that rural and island life bring – unique employment opportunities, a strong sense of community and access to the best of Scotland’s local produce and natural assets.

“We are going to help community councils to make better use of social media reach out to more people, and particularly younger generations, to be sure that have a say in improving local services.

“Our independent Expert Advisory Group on Migration and Population will also take forward research looking at population trends, migration and mobility for young people in island and rural communities, with a particular focus on Gaelic-speaking communities.”

Stephen Young, policy director at Scottish Land and Estates said there ‘is no silver bullet’ to reverse the trend of young people leaving rural communities and called for joined-up policy making across government and the devolution of power from the centre.

He said: "The fact that the Scottish Government recognises there is a problem with retaining young people in our rural areas is positive but we need tangible action rather than discussion with very little output at the end.

"As an organisation, we frequently discuss 'rural-proofing' policymaking and that is one immediate step that the government could take. Policies designed in and for Edinburgh are likely to fail in the Highlands, the Borders, Argyll or Aberdeenshire.

"We need to be doing more to provide affordable housing, including a more enabling planning process, as well as supporting projects such as the Scottish Machinery Rings Pre-Apprenticeship programme with long-term funding to ensure that young people can gain the skills they need to play an active role in the rural economy.

"Rural Scotland is at the forefront of many fast-moving sectors including clean energy, and the employment prospects that provides, but we also need to make the most of recent changes in how society operates, including remote and flexible working, and ensure we are equipped for that through the provision of rural broadband and quality, modern housing."