Supporting Scotland's Transition - Land Use and Agriculture: Technical Supporting Document

1.6 People and equity

Rural areas of Scotland have a lower proportion of the population in the age range 16 to 44 but a higher proportion of people aged 45 and over. This is particularly true for the age range of 65 and over in remote rural areas, indicating that when people reach retirement age, they are more likely to live in rural areas.^[134] Evidence suggests that factors influencing the number of young people moving out of rural areas could be higher education and employment opportunities, and the availability of affordable housing and public transport.^[135]

That said, a comparison of results between the Scottish Islands Surveys of 2020 and 2023 suggest islanders are now increasingly likely to stay on their island for the next 5 years, rising from 86% in 2020 to 88% in 2023, with young people more likely to stay on their island in the medium term. While this improvement is small, it displays promising development in addressing population decline on the islands.^[136]

Satisfaction with public services is lower in rural areas than urban areas of Scotland. Less than half of adults living in accessible rural areas (45%) and remote rural areas (48%) were satisfied with the quality of public services (local health services, schools and public transport combined), in comparison to 58% of adults living in large urban areas.^[137]

Islanders rate their local environment very highly, and high proportions engage in pro-environmental behaviours, notably buying food locally and generating their own renewable energy, which is particularly common in the Orkney Outer Isles. Lower proportions of residents report that the local environment is clean and litter-free, however, and the ability to dispose of bulky household waste is a particular issue in the outer islands of Orkney and Shetland.^[138]

Health and wellbeing

Life expectancy is higher in rural Scotland. It is highest in remote rural areas, at around 79 years for males and around 83 for females.^[139] Healthy life expectancy^[140] is also higher in rural Scotland. In 2019-21, healthy life expectancy for females in remote rural areas was 66.2 years, almost six years higher than for females in large urban areas (60.6 years). For males it was just over 64 years compared to 59 years.^[141]

Primary and secondary school pupils in rural and remote rural areas have healthier diets than those in urban areas. For example, 40% of pupils in remote rural areas eat vegetables at least once a day, 10% more than in large urban areas. In accessible rural and remote rural areas, pupils were most likely to eat fruit once a day.^[142]

Access to care

Experience of care is better in remote rural areas. For example, 69% of people receiving care, surveyed in remote rural areas, agreed that they feel supported to live as independently as possible, compared to 65% in large urban areas. The highest percentage of people who agreed that the help, care or support they receive improved or maintained their quality of life were in remote rural areas (68%), followed by remote small towns (63%), higher than in Scotland as a whole (60%).^[143]

The experiences of unpaid carers are also most positive in remote rural areas, where over a third (35%) said that they feel supported to continue caring. They are least positive in accessible rural areas, where less than a quarter (24%) agreed.^[144]

General Practitioner to patient ratio is higher in rural Scotland. It is highest in remote rural areas (14.8 per 10,000 patients) and accessible rural areas (9.7), and lowest in other urban areas (8.1).^[145] All of the Island Local Authorities have an equal or higher General Practice to Patient Ratio than the Scottish Average of 9 General Practices per 10,000 patients. Overall, satisfaction with local health services is relatively high across rural and remote rural Scotland. Satisfaction is highest in remote rural areas (85%) and lowest in accessible small towns (71%), compared to 80% in large urban areas.^[146] On islands, the majority of islanders (84%) agree they could easily access a GP.^[147]

There is a mixed picture in terms of other health data. Emergency hospital admissions are lower in remote rural and accessible rural areas than in the rest of Scotland. In contrast, the highest rates for cancer admissions are in remote rural areas, with the lowest cancer admission rate being in accessible rural areas.^[148]

There are well-known challenges with rural childcare provision, from the availability of services, including wraparound care, to issues faced by providers such as changes in demand and recruitment of staff. Parents and carers in rural areas (66%) are less likely to use all of their 1,140 funded hours than those in urban areas (75%). In rural areas, two thirds (66%) of parents have experienced difficulties affording childcare, compared to a smaller number (61%) in urban areas.^[149]

Working together

Around a third of people in rural Scotland give up time to work as a volunteer or organiser compared to a quarter in the rest of Scotland.^[150]

Local focus

Recent engagement with stakeholders, (see section 3 of this document), has highlighted the importance of understanding the unique attributes of every locality and ensuring ‘the right thing happens in the right place’. As illustrated earlier, some islands are experiencing declining populations whereas others are seeing their population increase. This could suggest that island policy needs to be flexible enough to treat this as two separate issues rather than as simply an ‘island’ issue.

For example, the recent Economic Condition of Crofting Survey^[151] highlighted that most crofters were in agreement that crofting is not economically viable without household members supplementing their income from non-crofting activities. Furthermore, the majority of crofters expressed the view that it was necessary for crofting to continue to diversify from agricultural-based activities in order to secure its economic future.

Seven in ten island respondents see themselves as belonging to their local community, and six in ten say there is a strong sense of community in their local area. However, this varies across the island groups and has decreased since 2020. Islanders also feel more empowered when it comes to influencing community organisations (such as community councils, development trusts and community groups) than national and regional organisations (such as local authorities and health boards). Just 6% feel they have influence over decisions made by the Scottish Government and 10% feel they can influence their local authority, while almost a third feel they can influence their community council and other community organisations.^[152]

Equity, value and respect

There is widespread evidence that people in rural areas, and remote rural and island communities in particular, experience higher costs of living for some goods and services, for example weekly food costs. Additional minimum living costs for households in remote rural Scotland typically add 15-30% to a household budget, compared to urban areas of the UK.^[153] Rural employment rates often compare favourably with urban areas although it is well-known that rural incomes can be volatile and precarious, with unpredictable incomes from seasonal/casual work and zero-hours contracts characteristic not only of land-based and tourism employment but extending across many sectors of rural economies.^[154] Slightly higher pay in rural Scotland (than urban) can still be inadequate to meet basic needs as goods are more expensive in remote rural communities.

In 2019-22, poverty rates in rural areas (18%) were slightly lower than those in urban areas (21%). However, the proportion of people in each category who are in relative poverty in rural Scotland has gradually increased since 2006-9 from 15% to 18%.^[155] In 2019-22, child poverty rates in rural areas (18%) were lower than those in urban areas (27%) and Scotland as a whole (24%), but have changed very little since 2006-9, when 19% of children were in relative poverty in rural Scotland.

In 2021, nearly three quarters (73%) of island residents surveyed said that their heating bills had increased in the past year. Over one in ten (13%) stated that they could not afford to keep their home warm in the past year, and around a tenth (8%) said they have had to choose between keeping their home warm and buying food or essentials for themselves and their family.^[156]

The 2020 National Islands Plan Survey revealed that less than a third of island residents agree that it is easy for young people (under 40) who want to live and work in their local area to do so, and only a quarter of island residents agree that young people are supported to remain, move or return to the local area.^[157]

The crime victimisation rates in rural areas are lower than in the rest of Scotland. Remote rural areas have the lowest victimisation rates at 4%. This rises to 9% in accessible rural areas and then to 13% in the rest of Scotland.^[158]

Rural and island communities share many challenges, for example accessing public services or high-quality employment. However, the consequences of geography (including higher costs and environmental factors) can create particular problems for island communities and for some islanders rurality exacerbates inequality already experienced on account of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.^[159]

Experiences of culture and language vary considerably across island groups, age groups and genders, with different patterns of cultural participation and perceptions of the extent to which island culture is supported. 59% of residents agree that there is investment in cultural and historic places and facilities in their island. 58% of residents agree that islanders' creative talents are supported and nurtured. Of those who speak Gaelic, 59% agree that there is support for Gaelic speakers to live and work in their community, 47% that they could access public services in Gaelic, and 34% that they can contribute to decisions affecting their local area in Gaelic.^[160]

Culture can also impact in more subtle ways. For example, succession presents real problems for women's entry into agriculture. The assumption by some that a son rather than a daughter will inherit the family farm is a significant barrier to equality. This is a cultural rather than a legal issue, reinforced by the lack of future business and succession planning in the agricultural industry.^[161]

Land ownership

The use and ownership of Scotland's land is one of the central issues for the future of our environment, our society and our economy. Addressing the historical position of large parts of Scotland being owned and used in ways determined not by the communities that live on them, but by landowners, often based out with Scotland, has been a theme of devolution since the first Parliament.^[162]

Private land

Over the last century, there have been some important changes to land ownership including an increase in land owned by public agencies and community groups and a decrease in the area held by larger estates.^[163] In 2014 it was estimated that 50% of Scotland’s land was owned by just over 400 private owners^[164] and, more recently, that privately owned estates account for just over 4.1 million hectares (57%) of rural land.^[165]

Tenanted land

The amount of rented agricultural land in Scotland has fallen steadily over the past ten years from 25% in 2011 to 22% in 2021, (at 1.27 million hectares). The total area of tenanted land decreased by 2% compared to 2020. The area of secure tenancies fell by two per cent, and the area of other tenancy types remained fairly stable. Newer, limited period tenancy arrangements have been increasing in recent years. These arrangements accounted for just over one third of all tenancy types in 2021.^[166] In addition to tenant farms, there are 15,242 tenanted crofts in Scotland, (as recorded by the Crofting Commission in 2023/2024).^[167]

Land in community ownership

Recent figures^[168] show that in 2022 the area of Scottish land in community ownership was 212,342 hectares, which is 2.7% of the total land area of Scotland. The area of land in community ownership has increased by 155,801 hectares compared to 2000. There were 754 assets in community ownership in Scotland, an increase of 16 (2%) from 738 in 2021, owned by 505 groups. Remote rural areas contain 60% of community owned assets (456) and 98% of community owned land. A further 143 assets (19%) are in accessible rural areas, comprising just over 1% of the land area.