National Islands Plan

Innis

Pàdraig MacAoidh / Peter Mackay – Scotland’s Makar

Gus guth làn faoileagmhor a thoirt dha na h-eileanan-sa –

na clèibh de dh’innis-mharannan ’s stacan uaibhridh

na clachan-staire agus drochaidean cuimhne,

na tasgaidhean facail, pràisichean agus hieroglyphan gneiss,

na gleocan geòlasach, bàtaichean sgeireach agus raointean gluasadach,

na h-imleagan-sa, na puingean-deiridh-sa, na h-iomallan-fairge gun chrìoch,

na nid sgairbh, na h-uirighean-sa, garaidhean agus spòran air fleod,

na pòcanan adhair, na cuachan breò agus na comharran-stiùiridh

nan seasamh gu diongalta an aghaidh nan sruthan, ag ath-aithris

uisge, bùrn is sàl dhan a’ ghaoith – bhiodh feum agaibh èisteachd

ris an t-sluaisreadh aig an t-shoormal ann an geodha

ri gugail peedie na curracaige a’ sgiathadh atween wadders

agus ris a h-uile duine a tha eòlach air an iomadh ainm ac’

agus a chleachdas iad mar chairt-iùil airson faighinn hame

To give full, gull-throated voice to these islands –

these woven creel archipelagos and proud stacs,

stepping stones to themselves, word-stores,

crucibles and memory bridges, these hieroglyphs of gneiss,

geologic clocks, rocky lifeboats and omphaloi,

sand-shifting landing strips, these end points and infinite

coastlines, cormorant ledges, holts and hovers,

floating spores, pockets of air, bioluminescent nests

and landmarks each braced against their own currents,

their every fresh reiteration of water tilted to the winds –

you must listen to the sluaisreadh at the shoormal,

to the peedie calls of the curracag atween wadders,

and to all those who tend their many names

and depend on them to navigate their ways hame

Innis Gaelic: n. island; sheltered valley protected by a wood; choice place (Islay). Frequently anglicised as ‘inch’.

v. tell, recount, relate

Scots: n. lodgings, quarters; a lodging-place; a person’s residence or dwelling-place; a town-residence; an innhouse

National Islands Plan - The story so far...

2013

• Our Islands, Our Future campaign
• Scottish Government establishes Island Areas Ministerial working group

2014

• Scottish Government publishes Empowering Scotland's Island Communities prospectus

2015

• Consultation on provisions for future Islands Bill

2016

• Consultation and progress update are published

2018

• Scottish Parliament passes Islands (Scotland) Bill

2019

• Consultation and engagement on the proposed National Islands Plan
• First ever National Islands Plan is published

2020

• Covid Pandemic, Brexit and Cost Crisis
• Introduction of Island Communities Impact Assessments regulations and guidance
• First Scottish Islands Survey completed

2021

• Islands Programme launched
• Launch of Carbon Neutral Islands

2022

• Scottish Government publishes report on implementation of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018
• Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund launched

2023

• Second Scottish Islands Survey completed
• Public consultation on National Islands Plan review

2024

• Carbon Neutral Islands Capital Fund launched
• Analysis consultation response published

2025

• Second National Islands Plan