National Islands Plan

Empowered Communities and Culture

Achieving the ambitions of this Plan depends on close collaboration across all levels of government. By working together, and by supporting island communities in ways that reflect their distinct ambitions and strengths, local authorities and national bodies are best placed to deliver meaningful change. This is in line with the recommendation made by the Scottish Human Rights Commission, who underlined the importance of policies that are adaptable to the specific needs of islands and rural areas^[57].

Evidence shows that thriving island communities are those where local people are empowered to take action – from running community assets to shaping local services. Strong community organisations build resilience, help retain and attract new islanders by creating confidence in the future, and contribute directly to national objectives on wellbeing, net zero and inclusive growth.

Our goal is simple: to enable islands to thrive on their own terms. Delivering this vision requires robust frameworks for legislation, consultation and planning, ensuring that the voices of islanders are embedded in decision-making at every stage.

Communities have told us that empowerment must be accompanied by practical and sustained investments that build capacity among local organisations and support the delivery of locally led projects. Adequate resourcing and skills development are essential to move from vision to delivery.

Promoting and protecting islands’ heritage is intrinsic to our commitment to community empowerment. Many participants in the consultation that shaped this Plan told us their sense of belonging is closely linked to the traditions and culture of their island. Heritage is not a relic of the past but a living resource that strengthens social cohesion, builds intergenerational bonds and stimulates economic growth. Our vision is for islanders to be empowered to shape their own priorities, build their futures, and protect what makes their communities unique.

Local Government

In developing this Plan, we have sought advice from local government partners and engaged directly with islanders. Publication does not mean we have reached our destination – we will continue to engage and consult throughout the implementation phase to ensure that policies and investments are grounded in lived experience.

While the Scottish Government sets the statutory framework and provides targeted investment, local authorities are closest to communities and best placed to design services and solutions that meet local needs.

One of the key provisions of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 is the potential transfer of additional powers to island local authorities. This mechanism is designed to strengthen autonomy and create even greater scope for tailoring services to the specific needs of island areas. To date, no Additional Powers Requests have been submitted.

We will actively support island local authorities to explore, pursue and implement additional powers, where these can strengthen local decision-making and deliver better outcomes for island communities.

The Islands Programme

Established in 2021-2022, the Scottish Government’s Islands Programme has delivered capital investments in locally-developed critical infrastructure projects whose deliverables align with the Strategic Objectives of the National Islands Plan. To date, the Islands Programme has made 88 grant awards in support of 55 separate islands, for a combined total of £19.7 million. Projects supported by the scheme range from a new nursery in Kirkwall and the expansion of the Tigh-a-Rhuda Care Home on Tiree, to the redevelopment of the former Eriskay school and the reopening of the Fair Isle Bird Observatory.

In parallel, we are exploring new governance models designed to reflect the unique circumstances of island communities and to bring decisions closer to home. We are supporting local government and health and social care partners in Orkney, Na h-Eileanan Siar and Argyll and Bute to develop options for place-specific Single Authority Models (SAMs) that reflect the demographic and geographic realities of island areas.

SAMs offer the opportunity to strengthen and streamline governance in ways that reflect local circumstances. Streamlined governance in smaller authority areas can free up resources for vital front-line activity and encourage a decisive shift to more community-based services that meet need before crisis point is reached. New arrangements will be locally determined through inclusive engagement with communities and relevant workforces. We have already awarded £0.9 million across the three participating councils to support their work with local partners and develop alternative place-based models.

We will publish detailed plans and timelines for implementation of Single Authority Models in Orkney, Na h-Eileanan Siar and Argyll and Bute by the end of this Parliament. Early implementation will focus on deeper integration across key services in local government and health and social care, with potential for new governance arrangements to encompass a broader suite of functions.

Island Communities Impact Assessments and Consultations

The introduction of Island Communities Impact Assessments (ICIAs) in 2021 marked a significant milestone in creating fairer and more inclusive policy-making for our islands. For the first time, 71 public authorities across Scotland are legally required to consider how their decisions might affect island communities. ICIAs have raised awareness across government and public bodies of the distinct challenges islanders face, and have helped shape more responsive, place-based policies that better reflect the realities of island life.

However, we know – and communities have told us clearly – that more work is needed. ICIAs are a relatively new tool and, like any new process, are still embedding across the public sector. Some communities have expressed concern that the process has not yet delivered on its full potential, highlighting the need to strengthen consistency, quality and impact.

We are committed to improving the effectiveness of ICIAs – supporting public authorities to apply them consistently and meaningfully. Used systematically with other impact assessments (such as the Business and Regulatory, Consumer Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty assessments), ICIAs can strengthen consideration of how policies will have particular impacts for island businesses or consumers, or disadvantaged groups within island communities. By building capacity and improving practice, we aim to ensure that ICIAs lead to more transparent decisions and greater confidence among island communities.

We will identify practical improvements and set out clear, targeted actions to support consistent and robust application of ICIAs across all relevant areas, and work with public authorities and island communities to embed them more systematically in policy development and decision-making. This will include commissioning advice from island organisations to identify best practice in community engagement, with a particular focus on involving young people.

Local Data and Planning

The first National Islands Plan recognised the critical importance of addressing data gaps and gathering robust, island-level data to inform targeted interventions and measure impact. Since then, Scottish Islands Surveys conducted in 2020 and 2023 have generated rich insights into the socio-economic circumstances of islanders and their perceptions of island life.

Alongside other data sources, survey findings have shaped regular updates to the Scottish Islands Data Dashboard – a public-facing tool that tracks key trends across Scotland’s islands and supports evidence-based decision-making, including for ICIAs. An updated Scottish Islands Data Overview (2025) summarises the latest available statistical data.

In 2023, we introduced the Scottish Island Regions geography, grouping Scotland’s islands into nine regions. This framework provides a consistent basis for structuring datasets and collecting new data. It also enables more meaningful comparisons between island groups and with the rest of Scotland.

While these developments mark important progress, challenges remain. Disaggregating island-specific data from larger datasets is complex, and collecting detailed data for individual islands can be resource-intensive. Communities have also expressed a clear interest in bottom-up approaches, taking the lead in gathering data about their own islands. Such approaches can help close data gaps, inform local planning, and enhance the evidence base that supports funding applications.

We will conduct a new iteration of the Scottish Islands Survey in 2026-27.

We will support community-led approaches to gathering island-level data to improve local understanding of trends and aid local planning. This will include a demonstrator project, with learning shared with other island communities.

While favouring the development of a new National Islands Plan, respondents to the 2023 consultation called for a stronger focus on – and support for – local and community-led planning.

Local Place Plans (LPPs) are community-led spatial plans that allow community bodies to set out their aspirations for the development and use of land. Introduced under the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, they give communities a clear voice in the development plan system. Guidance highlights that LPPs can be short, visual and accessible documents setting out the community body’s priorities and proposals – they do not need to be complex. Once registered with theplanning authority, LPPs must be taken into account when preparing the next Local Development Plan. They provide communities with a practical way to shape the future of their islands and to communicate their aspirations and ideas to public authorities. By contrast, Community Action Plans (CAPs) are typically used to coordinate collaboration between local groups or guide investment and funding applications. While they do not usually include spatial design or mapping, CAPs help communities formalise their objectives across a range of themes.

We want to empower local communities with a strong understanding of the planning system, for instance in relation to renewable developments.

We will establish a training programme for island communities, so they are empowered to participate in planning processes, including through the development of Local Place Plans and Community Action Plans.

Community Capacity and Ownership

The third sector plays an invaluable role on our islands, with staff often taking on multiple responsibilities to bring positive change to their communities. However, demographic challenges pose sustainability risks as the pool of volunteers and future leaders shrinks, increasing the burden on fewer individuals to keep services running and deliver projects that generate wealth and wellbeing. Funding is also a challenge, with many organisations relying on short-term arrangements that make longer-term planning difficult, particularly as rapidly increasing costs erode project feasibility.

Through our engagements, communities have been clear that their ability to create and retain wealth for their islands – turning plans into action – is dependent on first having the necessary capacity.

Our Strengthening Communities Programme (SCP) helps community (anchor) organisations build that capacity. Support is tailored to the needs of organisations and can include developing governance and financial capability to deliver more ambitious projects, which – in turn – increase their ability to self-generate income. In partnership with HIE, the SCP has worked with organisations across island areas, enabling them to pursue economic, social and environmental opportunities that create wealth and wellbeing within their communities.

Further improving the transparency of land ownership and giving communities greater say over how land is used is a fundamental component in our journey towards empowering islands to thrive. Access to land is essential to give people places to live, encourage regenerative development and boost community identity.

In addition, the Scottish Government continues to invest in the Community‑Led Local Development (CLLD) programme, which operates across every island in Scotland. Delivered in partnership with Local Action Groups (LAGs) and Youth LAGs, the programme supports community‑designed solutions to island challenges. These volunteer‑led groups decide how funding is allocated based on local priorities, ensuring decisions remain with those who know their areas best. Since 2022, CLLD has invested more than £5 million in 416 community‑driven projects across our islands.

Scotland has a proud history of land reform since devolution but we continue to have one of the most concentrated patterns of land ownership in the world, including on our islands. The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 takes steps to ensure that land is transferred and used in ways that are aligned with local needs, including measures to reform tenant farming. It also expands opportunities for community land ownership by requiring large landholders to engage on and publish mandatory Land Management Plans, and give advance notice of sales. There is a requirement for the Act to be reviewed by the Scottish Land Commission who must evaluate the impact and effect of the land reform measures on islands and island communities. Scottish Ministers will be required to respond to that review stating what actions they intend to take as a result of the findings.

The Scottish Government is also reviewing Community Rights to Buy, with a view to making it easier for communities to exercise them. Among other measures, the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 allows communities to register a community interest in land or buildings, securing first right of refusal should the landowner decide to put the land up for sale. To date, there have been 14 such applications from island communities. Six of these have led to the successful purchase of assets for a combined total of 6,800 acres of land. Engagement is underway with island communities to ensure their views contribute to informing the review process.

The Scottish Land Fund has provided financial support to communities pursuing asset ownership, either through negotiation or by using the Land Reform legislation. Since 2021, the Fund has awarded over £14 million to projects located within the six island local authorities. In 2025-26, we have made another £7.1 million available through the Fund.

Culture, Arts and Heritage

For centuries, Scotland’s islands have been exemplars of artistic expression across the visual arts, music and more. To this day, cultural activity remains a cornerstone of island life – from established institutions to grassroots initiatives. The Scottish Islands Survey 2023 found that 65% of respondents had attended a culturally specific festival in the previous 12 months, compared with 5% of people across Scotland^[58].

Our islands play a key role in realising the vision set out in our Culture Strategy for Scotland (2022) – one where culture is valued and protected, both shaping and shaped by society, with its transformative potential experienced by everyone.

In 2025-26, we increased support to the culture sector by over £50 million compared to 2023-24. This has enabled Creative Scotland to deliver its Multi-Year Funding programme, strengthening the sector’s foundations and allowing it to focus on what it does best: creating innovative and exciting work. Through this programme, Creative Scotland is supporting 15 island-based organisations with investments of £12.4 million over the 2025-26 to 2027-28 period. Seven of these organisations will receive multi-year funding from Creative Scotland for the first time.

Island festivals are outstanding examples of cultural events that provide vital platforms for artists to showcase their work while supporting local economies and businesses. Multi-year funding is helping festivals such as HebCelt, Orkney’s St Magnus International Festival, Skye-based SEALL as well as events supported by Fèisean nan Gàidheal.

Artists from Scotland’s islands are also central to collaborations and commissions with festivals across the country, including Celtic Connections and the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. The Made in Scotland initiative – backed by the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund – has enabled numerous island-based artists to showcase their work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, offering vital exposure and creating opportunities for international touring.

The Even Here, Even Now project, developed through the Scottish Government’s Culture Collective Fund, celebrates the quality and distinctiveness of creative work produced on the islands, rooted in the preservation and development of traditional skills and intangible cultural heritage. Bringing together artists living in Shetland, Orkney and Na h-Eileanan Siar, the project provides a support network that fosters connections and creates opportunities to showcase island artists’ work both locally and nationally.

We will support the continuation and expansion of the Even Here, Even Now project to include all island areas, promoting island culture, heritage and languages.

Efforts to record and preserve our islands’ history and heritage have been undertaken across all scales – from the designation of St Kilda and the Heart of Neolithic Orkney as UNESCO World Heritage sites, to grassroots research into the lived experience of islanders over generations. Our islands are also home to a remarkable number of museums and heritage centres, each playing a vital role in preserving and celebrating local culture. Often curated by communities, these centres act as custodians of island histories and attract cultural tourism.

Across Scotland’s islands, young people are finding new and creative ways to connect with their community heritage. They are reinterpreting traditions in ways that resonate with their lives, ensuring local heritage evolves and remains relevant for future generations.

We will support young islanders to celebrate and grow their islands’ heritage, both locally, across Scotland and on the international stage.

Languages

Scotland’s islands boast a rich tapestry of languages and dialects, deeply woven into their identity. These languages carry centuries of tradition, storytelling and place-based knowledge, fostering a strong sense of belonging. Beyond their cultural value, they are also powerful drivers of economic growth – supporting jobs and attracting visitors.

Data from Scotland’s Census 2022 show that 21% of island residents reported some Gaelic skills. The highest proportion anywhere in Scotland was recorded in Na h-Eileanan Siar, where 57% of respondents had some proficiency. Islands in the Highlands (35%) and Argyll (21%) areas also recorded substantially higher levels of Gaelic ability than the national average.

In 2022, Scottish Ministers convened a Short Life Working Group to identify actions that could strengthen the links between Gaelic use and economic growth. The Group’s report features 45 recommendations, almost all of which the Scottish Government has accepted. In line with the Group’s advice, this Plan recognises the importance of harnessing the economic contribution that Gaelic makes to some island communities.

Gaelic hubs are key links between language revitalisation and economic regeneration. Ranging from Gaelic businesses such as Stornoway’s An Taigh Cèilidh to community spaces provided by organisations like the Staffin Community Trust on Skye, these hubs have been a key target of government investment. They play a dual role: delivering public services and strengthening wider socio-economic wellbeing.

The success of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is a powerful example of the link between community regeneration and language revival. As part of the Scottish Languages Act 2025, we have committed to reviewing the status of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig to identify ways to secure its continued growth and development.

The support for Scots also has a profound island dimension. Orkney and Shetland reported the highest proportion of Scots speakers in the country, with Orcadian and Shetlandic remaining deeply cherished components of local heritage and culture. Alongside Gaelic, the Scottish Languages Act 2025 grants Scots official status within Scotland. It also places a duty on Scottish Ministers to produce a Scots Language Strategy and to encourage the use of Scots within the school curriculum. Recognition of Scots must reflect the diversity of its dialects – in implementing the Act, specific recognition will be given to Orcadian and Shetlandic, with community views sought on the most effective ways to support them.

We will support the establishment of a network of Gaelic development officers. This will aid the creation of new Gaelic hubs, encourage inter-island collaboration on language development and highlight socio-economic opportunities connected to the use of Gaelic.

We will expand Gaelic medium education (GME) provision on islands from early years to secondary levels, including through increased support for GME teachers and the establishment of a new GME secondary school.

We will ensure the implementation of the National Islands Plan supports the development of guidance concerning Areas of Linguistic Significance. This will include enhancing the gathering of language data through future iterations of the Scottish Islands Survey.

We will work with local authorities that include traditional Gaelic areas to assess the economic contribution of Gaelic and Gaelic broadcasting to their island communities. We will identify lessons that can support local language promotion and community regeneration in other island areas, for instance in relation to Orcadian and Shetlandic.

Scotland’s Census 2022 shows that 2,700 island residents use British Sign Language (BSL), with the largest group in Shetland (3.5% of the population aged over 3).

Our BSL National Plan 2023-2029 promotes equal access, opportunity and inclusion for the BSL community. The availability of BSL classes for deaf and hard of hearing people is often raised as a concern, together with appropriate training for teachers, social workers and healthcare professionals. To address these issues, the Scottish Government funds Contact Scotland BSL, which allows users to communicate remotely with services and people via a BSL interpreter. We know that barriers facing BSL users can be even more pronounced in island communities, where training and learning opportunities are less readily available.

We will ensure that the delivery of the BSL National Plan is responsive to the barriers faced by users in island communities.