Mirroring a trend that has been observed across Nordic countries, Scotland is experiencing a process of urbanisation and population aging. Rural areas account for 98% of Scotland’s land mass but only 17% of its total population, with further losses being projected due to declining birth rates and reducing inward migration. Scotland’s sparsely populated areas are at risk of losing more than a quarter of their population by the middle of the century if current demographic trends continue. Depopulation poses substantial policy and economic issues while affecting the wellbeing and resilience of shrinking rural communities. Scotland’s challenges, however, are not untypical.

This session will offer Scottish and Nordic perspectives on the common objective of repopulating rural and remote areas, identifying similarities, divergences and opportunities for mutual learning. Discussions will focus on approaches to making rural and remote communities attractive places to move to, live, work and bring up families, to ensure sustainable populations, facilitate inclusive economic growth and support wellbeing. The critical role of inward migration will also be discussed.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be multifaceted from a population and migration perspective, with higher mortality rates of an ageing population and international and internal migration flows already impacted in the short-term. However, it also presents an opportunity to explore different ways of working with more people working from home and the opportunities that presents in encouraging people to move to rural areas. The panel will comprise representatives of Scottish and Nordic rural regions to bring local-level experiences into the scope of the discussion and debate the importance of community-led initiatives in the context of wider policy-making.

This event is part of the Scottish Government’s Arctic Connections webinar series. Please find more information here.

Moderator

• Jane Craigie – Director, Rural Youth Project

Speakers

• Fiona Hyslop – Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture
• Karen Refsgaard – Research Director, Nordregio
• Timothy Heleniak – Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio
• Jane Atterton – Manager, Rural Policy Centre, Scotland’s Rural College
• Martin Shields – Isle of Kerrera Development Trust