Ensuring delivery of islanders’ priorities

Delivering a fair, integrated, green and inclusive approach to island policy is at the heart of a new document published today.

The National Islands Plan Implementation Route Map sets out how Scottish Government will continue to contribute to improvements across Scotland’s islands, and details how priorities will be delivered over the lifetime of the National Islands Plan. It has been created with input from island stakeholders and local authority partners.

The development of the Implementation Route Map was informed by the National Islands Plan through a COVID Lens Survey (2020). The data from the survey identified the most important objectives to best support recovery and renewal for islands. The data will act as a starting point in terms of identifying priorities for delivery to support communities move towards a post-COVID-19 recovery. The top three significant strategic objectives identified were transport, sustainable economic development and digital connectivity.

Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands Paul Wheelhouse said:

“This has been a challenging year for everyone, and our island communities in particular have been, and continue to be, impacted by COVID-19. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our island communities for their resilience in response to the pandemic and for their continued dedication to combating this virus.

“The Implementation Route Map will be published as a ‘living’ document to enable it to respond to fresh challenges and changing circumstances as they arise. We will continue to work closely with key stakeholders to ensure that the voices of islanders are fully heard as we look to bring into reality the aspirations of those islanders who helped shape the National islands Plan and all the objectives within it.”

Background

National Islands Plan Implementation Route Map

National Islands Plan through a COVID Lens Survey results

Published on: 24 March, 2021