Scottish Islands Data Overview (2025)
The Scottish Islands Data Dashboard has been updated following a review of available data. This report summarises the findings. It highlights changes between data available in 2025 and data first collated in 2023 and gives an overview of longer term trends in Scotland's Islands.
10 Health and wellbeing
The majority of Scottish islanders agree that they can easily access GP, pharmacy and dental healthcare.
10.1 Access to Services
The majority of islanders agreed or strongly agree that they can easily access GPs, dentists and pharmacies in 2020, but the majority (39%) did not know if they could easily access mental health services[19]. In 2024 a higher percentage of people in Island regions were able to get same-day appointments for urgent General Practice visits than Scotland as a whole, apart from people in Highland Islands and Orkney (Mainland and connected)[20]. Life expectancies in 2023 are higher than the Scottish average for both men and women in all island local authorities except for and men in Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and both men and women in North Ayrshire Council.[21]
10.2 Weight and Diet
Fruit and vegetable consumption was significantly lower than Scotland in Shetland, Argyll and Bute and North Ayrshire and significantly higher than the Scotland in Highland Council in 2019.[22]
10.3 Suicide Rate
Between 2019 and 2023 the (age-standardised) suicide rate per 100,000 people[23] was higher than the Scottish average in five out of six island local authorities with the exception of Shetland Islands Council. In particular, the suicide rate in Highland council was 5.9 percentage points higher than the national average rate.
Source: General Practice - GP practice list sizes, Public Health Scotland (2023)