National Islands Plan 2026: island communities impact assessment

1. Introduction

This Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) considers the renewed National Islands Plan (the Plan) and provides an overview of how the Plan’s strategic objectives, actions and investments are expected to affect the wellbeing, sustainability and resilience of Scotland’s island communities. The assessment considers both the positive impacts and potential challenges associated with delivering the Plan across diverse island contexts, recognising that geography, scale and population profiles can lead to differing local experiences and outcomes.

This assessment is informed by engagement with island communities, local authorities, and delivery partners. It reflects the priorities expressed during consultation and builds on the demographic evidence presented in the Plan. The ICIA also acknowledges the persistent challenges facing many islands, including depopulation, ageing populations, limited housing supply, connectivity constraints, and higher living costs, while highlighting the strengths, innovation, and resilience that characterise island life.

In line with the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, the ICIA ensures that policy development and delivery are shaped by the distinct needs, circumstances, and aspirations of island communities. It supports the Scottish Government’s commitment to equitable policymaking, ensuring that decisions taken nationally enable islanders to live, work and thrive on an equal basis with people elsewhere in Scotland.

The plan relies on individual policy areas to deliver actions related to the commitments. Many of these polices would be subject to their own consideration for Island Communities Impact Assessments and it is important to note that the overarching, strategic nature of the plan means that the assessment set out in this document does not stop here, but will continue as policies, strategies and services continue to be designed and delivered. Accordingly, this ICIA will remain a living process, reviewed alongside the Plan’s annual reporting cycle.