draft report - Scottish Crofting Federation

There are six areas of Eilean Siar which are part of the Initiative at the Edge/Iomairt aig an Oir; Lochs and
Barra & Vatersay which are current members, and Uig & Bernera, Bays of Harris, Lochboisdale and
Eriskay which were pilot project areas.
In all of the areas affordable housing was a key factor in community sustainability. In Bays of Harris: a
project was established to investigate a Community Land Bank which would work with crofting
communities to encourage release of unused croft land to enable young couples in particular to build
homes in the area. An outcome from the housing requirements of the initiative at the edge areas has been
the establishment of a Rural Community Housing Project which will commission research and work with
communities to develop ways of meeting housing needs in the communities.
3.4. Highland
3.4.1. Highland Housing Strategy Update 2006 17
Population & Demographics
The population of Highland Council area grew by 2.5% between 1995 and 2005. This increase is due to in
migration with, in recent years, up to half of all in-migrants originating from Eastern Europe. Much (40%) of
this immigration has been to the Inverness area. Other areas of population growth are Nairn and Skye &
Lochalsh; the population in Caithness and Sutherland is falling. The population of Sutherland is also aging
to a greater extent than all other areas apart from Badenoch & Strathspey.
House Prices 18
Average house prices in Highland grew by 134% from £59,796 in 2000 to £140,041 in 2005. This is the
fastest growth in rural Scotland. House prices in Highland are the forth highest in rural Scotland behind
East Lothian, Scottish Borders and Perth & Kinross. They are now 5.4 times average incomes and the
third least affordable in rural Scotland. House prices and affordability however vary greatly across Highland
with average house prices in Caithness and Sutherland being substantially lower than those in Inverness
and Skye & Lochalsh.
Housing Need
Highland Council waiting list grew by 18% between 2003/04 and 2005/06 (from 6907 t0 8149). In 2005/06
across the Highland area there were an average 8 applications for every house let (the national average is
5-6). In Skye & Lochalsh there were 21 applicants for every let whilst in Badenoch & Strathspey the ratio
was 22:1.
The number of homeless applications in Highland has more than doubled in recent years from 985 in
2001/02 to 2443 in 2005/06 (an increase of 148%).
Houses on Crofting Land Rural Housing Service 2007
10