National Islands Plan: draft

Ministerial Foreword

Islands are central to our identity as a nation and a core part of Scotland’s international image. With their diverse economies, deep-rooted heritage and inspiring natural beauty, islands play a vital role in realising our vision of Scotland as a successful country in which to live, work and study.

Island communities boast a remarkable concentration of talent, innovation and resilience. Resourcefulness and self-reliance are core threads in the fabric that bonds communities to their islands. The Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 recognises that our islands face distinct circumstances and requires public authorities to consider the needs of island communities when exercising their functions.

The first National Islands Plan, published in 2019, established a framework for national policy and investment in support of island communities’ ambitions. Implementation progressed against a background of major challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, the wide-ranging effects of an unwelcome Brexit, and the cost-of-living crisis. The resilience that islanders have shown in the face of these obstacles cannot be overstated. Nor, however, should we ever take it for granted.

Significant cross-government investment accompanied the delivery of the first National Islands Plan and bolstered our response to those additional pressures. Yet the review of the Plan made clear that more needs to be done. We wholeheartedly accept this feedback and have listened carefully to concerns and proposals put forward.

The input we received from island communities and organisations has been central to shaping this second National Islands Plan. I am incredibly grateful to all those individuals and groups who have given their time and shared their ideas with us.

Developed in close partnership with local authorities and public agencies, the actions in this Plan inject further impetus into the delivery of policies, services and investment that equip island communities to pursue their own priorities. The Plan recognises that significant challenges remain, while also embracing the transformational opportunities for economic and social development on our islands.

Population retention and attraction is the key and overarching objective of this new Plan. This sets a clear vision for its implementation and underlines the Scottish Government’s unreserved view that thriving island communities and economies are essential to Scotland’s present and future success.

A new milestone in our longstanding dialogue with island communities, this Plan restates the Scottish Government’s commitment to working with and for islanders, and provides a clear programme of actions to build ever more resilient, sustainable and prosperous islands.

Mairi Gougeon MSP

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands

Graphic One – The Story so far

2013 - Our Islands, Our Future Campaign

2013 – Scottish Government establishes Island Area Ministerial working group

2014 – Scottish Government publishes Empowering Scotland’s Island Communities prospectus 

2015 – Consultation on provisions for future Islands Bill

2016 – Consultation analysis and progress update are published

2018 – Scottish Parliament passes Islands (Scotland) Bill

2019 – Consultation and engagement on the proposed National Islands Plan

2019 – First ever National Islands Plan is published

2020 – Covid Pandemic, Brexit and Cost Crisis

2020 – Islands Communities Impact Assessments regulations and guidance

2020 – First Scottish Islands Survey completed

2021 – Launch of Carbon Neutral Islands

2021 – Islands Programme launched

2022 – Scottish Government publishes report on Implementation of Islands (Scotland) Act 2018

2022 – Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund launched

2023 – Second Scottish Islands Survey completed

2023 – Public consultation on the National Islands Plan 

2024 – Carbon Neutral Islands Capital Fund Launched 

2024 – Analysis of consultation response published

2025 – Second National Islands Plan