View across the Outer Harbour of Stornoway

Tuesday 28 July 2009

Tuesday 28 July

A bright, sunny but windy day - haven't seen a force 5 for some time.

Up here in the Hebrides, there are concerns over a population decline in some of the more remote areas. The island of Scalpay, off Harris, has a population of about 200, but none of them are aged below 7. Following the closure of a fish processing factory there a few years ago, there are no prospects of new employment - and thereby new families arriving. A similar problem caused a terminal decline in population on St Kilda, which was evacuated 79 years ago, in August 1930. Read more here.

The dates have been announced for the switch-over to digital television in Scotland. The Western Isles will transition in July 2010.

2 comments:

  1. Lovely picture, G. I have so enjoyed catching up on your journal and seeing the beauty that is the northern highlands... your world.

    be well...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very interesting stories about the decline in population. We could use a little depopulation in our state. I think it would be great to live in such an unpopulated area, it would be appealing to me.

    I hope your switch to DTV goes better than it did here.

    ReplyDelete