History - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 415

raised of them, but most remain to contribute to the economic diversity of the region.
Forestry , for example, has seen large tracts of the Highlands planted, more sensitively
now than in the past; North Sea oil has brought serious economic benefits not just to
the northeast coast but also to Orkney and Shetland; salmon farming has become
widespread, tainting many otherwise idyllic west-coast scenes, but long accepted as a
vital part of numerous coastal communities. The new growth industry is alternative
energy , most controversially large “wind farms”, but also schemes to harness tidal and
wave energy. More unequivocally positive is the emergence of “ cyber-crofting ”
- essentially the operation of internet-based businesses or services from remoter areas.
The possibilities thrown up by the communications revolution have also led to the
establishment of the University of the Highlands , with various colleges linked to each
other and to outlying students by networked computers.

Immigration and land ownership
As remote living is made more viable, however, it is not just the indigenous population
who benefit, and immigration into the Highlands now matches the long-term trend of
emigration, with Inverness ranking as one of the fastest-growing urban areas in Britain
and most islands enjoying a steady increase in population (the 2011 Census revealed a
rise of four percent). The incomers - invariably called “white settlers” - are now an
established aspect of Highland life, often providing economic impetus in the form of
enthusiastically run small businesses, though their presence can still rankle in the
intimate lives of small communities. Any prejudicial control from outside the region is
looked on suspiciously, not least in the question of land ownership , which remains one
of the keys to Highland development - some would say the most important of all. Some
of the largest Highland estates continue to be owned and managed from afar, with little
regard to local needs or priorities; two-thirds of the private land in Scotland is owned by
a mere 1250 people, many of them aristocrats or foreign nationals. However, the success
of groups of crofters in buying estates in Assynt and Knoydart, as well as the purchase
of the islands of Eigg and Gigha by their inhabitants, hints at a gradual broadening of
land ownership.

Devolution and independence
With so many unique issues to tackle, it is perhaps not surprising that the Highlands
and Islands have always maintained an independent and generally restrained voice in
Scottish politics . Despite the unshakable Scottishness of the region, it has remained
largely ambivalent to the surges of nationalism seen in other parts of the country.
Devolution was regarded with scepticism by Highlanders and Islanders for the
likelihood of any Scottish Parliament being dominated by the politics of the Central
Belt. With the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh in 1999, the
demands for a more sensitive and understanding handling of the issues that matter to
the Highlands and Islands have justifiably grown. After centuries of what has often
seemed like ostracism from the rest of Scotland, the Highlands and Islands have good
reason to believe that they are now partners in the dance. The region has not been
immune to the rise of the Scottish National Party, though whether a majority will vote
for independence in the 2014 referendum , or remain characteristically aloof from the
nationalist debate, remains to be seen.

2011 2013 2014

The Scottish National
Party win a majority in the
Scottish Parliament

Andy Murray becomes the first
Scot to win Wimbledon men's
singles title since 1896

Scotland votes in a referendum
on independence