outer hebrides tourism strategy

Outer Hebrides Local Development Strategy (LDS)

Contents Introduction 4

1. Outer Hebrides Local Action Group Area 7 Background 7 Population and Migration 8

2. Development Needs And Opportunities In The Outer Hebrides 10 Outer Hebrides Economic Structure 11 Key Sectors 13 Workforce 18 Poverty and Social Inclusion 20 Summary 22

3. Engagement And Consultation 25 Introduction 25 Involving Local People 25 Public Consultation as Part of LEADER Evaluation 26 Workshop and Public Meetings 27 Working with Key Partners 30 Co-operative Projects and Networking 32 Youth Strategy 34 Continuous Engagement and Participation 40

4. Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF Strategy Objectives 42 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Priority Themes and Objectives 43 Outer Hebrides LEADER 2014-2020 Programme Priority Outcomes 44 Linking Themes and Outcomes 48 Allocation Apportionment 52 Links with other Strategies and Agenda's 54

5. European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 63 FLAG Area 63 Onshore Infrastructure 66 Overall Outer Hebrides EMFF 2014-2020 Programme Objectives 67 FLAG Composition and Membership 67 FLAG Networking and Co-operation 69

6. Turning Objectives into Practical Actions 70 Implementing the Strategy 70 Action Plan for Implementation 70 Youth LAG 711 Collaboration With Third Parties and Networking 722 Using Different Funds with LEADER 72 How Will Activities be Funded and Where are the Gaps? 755 Specific Objectives For Action 768

7. Appendix 80 Outer Hebrides Datazones Population List and Maps

SUSTAINING SOCIALLY INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES

The LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Programme will support and enable the Outer Hebrides to take action and ownership over the sustainable development of their communities

Picture Credits – Front Page: Vatersay, East and West Beaches - courtesy of Duncan MacKinnon for EU Rural Images Above: LEADER 2007-2013 funded Loch Stiapabhat Nature Observatory, Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsain - courtesy of LEADER Innse Gall LAG LEADER 2007-2013 funded Horgabost Beach Pontoon - courtesy of West Harris Trust

3 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

Introduction

LEADER - Liaison Entre Actions de Dèveloppment Èconomique Rurale or Links between Activities Developing Rural Communities.

LEADER is a European Union funded Community Development Programme which focuses on delivering a bottom-up method for supporting rural development. Support is primarily aimed at small-scale, community-driven projects that are pilot and innovative in nature. Vitally the benefits and participation of the local community in the project is fundamental to the LEADER ethos of networking, co-operation, transferring knowledge and integrating activities and actions through enabling the delivery of actions within local development strategies which are developed for and by the local communities.

The Outer Hebrides LEADER 2014-2020 Programme will not only support communities to provide them with the tools to develop innovative projects but also enable Small Rural Businesses to embed and flourish whilst also enabling new opportunities to be created through aiding sustainable Crofting and Farm diversification projects. Social and economic actions will be proactively developed to support innovative community-led local development within the rural economy of the Outer Hebrides.

EMFF– European Maritime and Fisheries Fund provides support for the sustainable development of fisheries areas

The European Maritime Fisheries Fund provides support for the sustainable development of fisheries and coastal areas, which includes the Outer Hebrides. It aims to increase the capacity of local fishing communities and business networks to build knowledge and skills, and to encourage innovation and co-operation in order to tackle local fisheries development needs and objectives.

LEADER is located within Axis 4 of the European Unions (EU) Common Agricultural Policy and the EMFF also has support directed towards Axis 4, which focuses on the development of sustainable communities. Therefore the integration of these funds ensures that a holistic and partnership approach is delivered to rural and coastal communities throughout the Outer Hebrides.

Funding, for both LEADER and EMFF, is awarded by area based Local Action Groups (LAGs) who take decisions on projects that assist in increasing the capacity of the local rural community and business networks. These are known either as LEADER LAGs or Fisheries LAGs (or FLAGs). Membership of LAGs comprise of partners from the public, private and

4 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

voluntary sectors ensuring of cross-sectoral representation of the identified objectives and target groups on the partnership.

The Outer Hebrides LEADER and European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy is an essential part of the process of securing funding for the Outer Hebrides from the EU through the Scottish Government by putting forward a strong proposition for a focused approach across the area.

The Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF programme has been developed to identify key areas where support for community-led economic development can help to achieve local strategic objectives. Several distinct elements are important in justifying the themes and objectives put forward in this strategy and these include ensuring evidence of need in the local economy is clear, alignment with other strategic objectives and that there is added value being provided through a community-led approach.

This strategy was developed along a number of principles including being clear, logical, feasible, realistic and inclusive. It has a consistent and common thread of building a sustainable economy via community led development running through it and is developed from analysis of the current situation, consultation and learning from previous LEADER experiences. There has been significant engagement with stakeholder organisations and individuals across the Outer Hebrides. Local meetings, workshops, public meetings, online consultations, surveys and telephone interviews have been used along with desk research to develop a focused strategic approach.

Strategic interventions will be guided by the priority outcomes that have been identified and through this document the Local Action Group are able to demonstrate that the objectives can be achieved by practical actions. These arise from analysis of the needs and opportunities identified at community engagement workshops held throughout the islands; and are guided by the opportunities and needs identified in the research undertaken that accompanied the community consultations.

Across Scotland , the LEADER approach during the next programming period (2014 to 2020) will aim to:  Strengthen the role of the Local Development Strategy (LDS)  Be more flexible, innovative and responsive to local needs.  Provide greater transparency of what the funds do and clarity about the respective roles of the parties and fora involved.  Focus on animation and capacity building in local development actions and decision making.  Strengthen non-public sector participation in delivery of funds.

5 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

 Strengthen networking, cooperation, knowledge transfer and exchange at all levels in the delivery chain and within and between areas.

The Scottish Government expects the Local Development Strategies to be aligned to the 6 European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) priorities, in particular ‘Promoting social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas’.

The identified objectives for the Outer Hebrides LEADER 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy are:

 Promoting Renewable Energy and Efficiency  Supporting and Developing Rural Services and Facilities  Developing and Aiding new Tourism Initiatives – focusing on Natural, Archaeological, Creative, Cultural and Gaelic heritage  Sustaining new SME and Community Enterprise  Developing Crofting Related Ideas and Encouraging Diversification  Supporting Community Fisheries and Marine initiatives  Networking with LAGs in Scotland, UK and Europe.

Furthermore the specific objectives of the Outer Hebrides EMFF 2014-2020 Programme are:

 Increase fisheries area employment and competitiveness by promoting fisheries sustainability and diversification of fishing effort  Develop alternative fisheries area employment through business diversification  Promote and market demand for local fisheries products  Increase onshore added value activity utilising locally caught product  Improve networking, training and development of best practice  Increase younger industry participant career progression and succession

6 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

1. Outer Hebrides Local Action Group Area

Figure 1 LEADER Innse Gall LAG area

The Outer Hebrides LEADER programme covers the entire Local Authority area. The main islands are Lewis, Harris, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, Eriskay, Barra. The islands measure approximately 130 miles from the Butt of Lewis in the north, to the south of Barra and Vatersay. The Outer Hebrides is one of the most sparsely populated areas in Scotland, with nine people per square kilometre compared with the Scottish average of 68. Stornoway , on the Isle of Lewis , is the largest and most populous settlement in the island chain though there are no ‘urban’ areas within the Outer Hebrides with a population of over 10,000.

7 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

Population and migration

The 2011 Census showed the population for the Outer Hebrides being 27,684. In the Outer Hebrides, 13.3% of the population are aged 16 to 29 years compared to 18.5% across Scotland; furthermore people aged 60 and over make up 29.4% of the Outer Hebrides population compared with just 23.2% for Scotland.

Figure 2 below shows the changes in the population profile since 2006, there has been a bigger drop in the number of school age children in the Outer Hebrides than across Scotland as a whole. And while there was a very slight increase in the 0 to 4 population in the Outer Hebrides (0.1%), this group increased by 10.4% across Scotland. Apart from a slight increase in the 18 to 22 age group (0.6%) there has been a decline in the population of all adult age groups under 45. The biggest population increase has been among the 65 to 74 age group which grew by 13.3%.

Figure 2 Population change by age group 2006 to 2012 (Outer Hebrides and Scotland)

Outer Hebrides Scotland

13.3% 11.1% 11.0% 11.5% 10.4% 9.9% 7.6% 6.4% 5.6% 6.0% 5.3%

-2.4% -3.4% -5.0% -5.8% -8.0% -9.3% -10.9%

0 - 4 5 to 11 12 to 17 18 to 22 23 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 75+

Source: GRO(S) 2013

These population changes make an impact on the overall population structure of the Outer Hebrides as Figure 3 shows. While the proportions of the population aged under 18 are similar to the national level, the Outer Hebrides has only 16% of its population aged 18 to 34, compared with 23% nationally. The Outer Hebrides therefore has higher proportion of older people aged 55 and over than the rest of Scotland.

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Figure 3 Population structure by age group; Outer Hebrides and Scotland (2011)

16% 15%15% 15% 13%13% 12% 12% 11% 10% 10% 8% 7% 7% 7% 7% 7% 6% 5% 5%

Source: General Register Office for Scotland, 2014

In 2012, there were 237 births in the Outer Hebrides, the number of deaths in the same year was 390, implying that the natural population change in the Outer Hebrides is downward. This denotes that the Outer Hebrides, like much of rural Scotland, relies on net in-migration to sustain its population.

On average, between 2009 and 2011 there was a net inflow of 69 people into Outer Hebrides per year, indicating that more people entered Outer Hebrides (951 per year) than left (882 per year). However, there is an average net outflow among the 16 to 29 year olds age group of 116. The biggest net inflows were among the 35 to 44 age group (+66) and the 45 to 64 age group (+68) however this is a long-standing trend which undermines the balance between working age and retired households.

Figure 4 shows, there were two recent peaks in net in-migration; the first after the accession of new Eastern European countries to the EU in 2004 and the second was in 2010, when there was a small increase in net in-migration; possibly as a response to poor economic conditions more generally. The chart also shows that levels of migration are more volatile among males and this is likely to be due to the nature of employment opportunities available and with a long tradition of males working offshore, in the Merchant

9 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

Navy, and in sectors such as construction where employment opportunities are highly mobile.

Figure 4 Net migration by gender in Outer Hebrides (2002 to 2012)

Males Females

163 184 159

99 72 42 63 62 46 30 61 37 14 22 18 4 6 10 -14 -15 -20

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Source: General Registrars Office for Scotland 2014

Figure 4 above also highlights that overall the Outer Hebridean population has been experiencing a decreasing trend since 2010, with negligible net in-migration unable to counter-balance the naturally declining trend. There was an increase of 22 (0.1%) from Census day to mid-2011 and a net decrease in population of 130 (-0.5) from mid-2011 to mid-2012. Appendix 1 holds the list of Populations within Data zones in the Outer Hebrides and corresponding maps.

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2. Development needs and opportunities in the Outer Hebrides

This section sets out how the 2014-2020 LEADER and EMFF strategy aims to address some of the issues facing the economy of the Outer Hebrides. It examines the make-up of enterprises and employment, key growth sectors and issues around unemployment and social exclusion and concludes by summarising the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats facing the Outer Hebrides.

Outer Hebrides Economic Structure

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a measure of the value added to materials and other inputs in the production of goods and services by resident organisations and Gross Value Added (GVA) is a more commonly used term for GDP at basic prices.1 As Figure 5 shows, the Outer Hebrides economy produced just under £400M in GVA in 2011; representing 5.2% of the Highlands and Islands total.

However, the total GVA in 2011 was lower than during the economic downturn in 2007, when the Outer Hebrides contributed 5.8% of the Highlands and Islands total. Although showing recent growth, the Outer Hebrides economy has weakened against the regional and national economies.

Figure 5 Total GVA at current prices 2007 to 2011 GVA (£ millions-current prices) Area 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Outer Hebrides 407 405 388 395 397 Highlands & Islands 6,988 7,169 7,079 7,411 7,579 Scotland 101,097 104,011 102,786 106,080 108,098 Source: HIE 2013 This growing economic disparity is clear when we compare the GVA per head in the Outer Hebrides against the Highlands and Islands and Scottish data. As Figure 6 shows, GVA per head in the Outer Hebrides declined from 98% of the regional level in 2007, to just 90% in 2011. This suggests that the Outer Hebrides has been harder hit by the economic downturn than the Highlands and Islands economy as a whole. This is likely to be due to spending and employment cuts in the public sector and an over-reliance on a small number of sectors in

1 Scottish Government Annual Business Statistics (2013)

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the local economy. Parts of the services sector and the construction sector were particularly affected by the downturn.

Figure 6 GVA per head in Outer Hebrides as proportion of Highlands and Islands and Scottish figure

% of Scottish % of H & I

98% 96% 94% 91% 90% 78.7% 76.8% 74.8% 74.2% 74.0%

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

The Outer Hebrides economy has traditionally been more reliant on public sector employment than other parts of the country, however, as Figure 7 shows, the number of jobs in this sector dropped dramatically between 2007 and 2012. This 26% reduction represents 1,500 jobs lost from the public sector; a greater reduction than across the wider region and nationally. Nevertheless, the Outer Hebrides has seen some growth in private sector employment to redress this, in contrast to the wider region and Scotland where private sector employment has also declined.

Figure 7 Change in Public and Private sector employment (2007 to 2012)

7% Public sector Private sector

-2% -2% -7%

-18% -26% Outer Hebrides Highlands & Islands Scotland

Source: NOMIS Annual Population Survey 2013

The business base in the Outer Hebrides is dominated by very small enterprises. Two thirds of employees (66%) work in enterprises with less than 50 employees compared with just 36% of employees across Scotland. Based on information from the Scottish Government’s Business Statistics, growing employment sectors in the Outer Hebrides include Information and Communication, which increased employment by 57% between 2010 and 2013;

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Accommodation and Food, which showed a 24% increase in employment, and Manufacturing which increased employment by 15%.

Key sectors

The Scottish Government has identified six key growth sectors that are important in achieving its overall goal of sustainable economic growth. These are:

 Food and Drink  Sustainable tourism  Life Sciences  Financial and Business services  Energy; and  Creative industries

In addition, agriculture and fisheries are important to the Outer Hebrides, not least because of the strong crofting tradition which is part of the culture of the islands. We have therefore looked at these in addition to the six key growth sectors.

Food and Drink There are high quality food and drink manufacturers in the Outer Hebrides which take advantage of the exceptional natural produce of the islands. This produce includes fresh and smoked seafood, meat and game, confectionary, jam and the iconic Stornoway black pudding. Producers include: the Hebridean Brewing Company, Kallin Shellfish, Hebridean Sea Salt, Stag Bakery, McDuff Shellfish and Barratlantic.

The issue of higher living costs incurred by those living in Remote Areas is shown in Figure 8 as Food costs were significantly higher for all types of remote total settlement, and 56% higher for some island settlements. These higher costs require to be taken into account by project managers to ensure that they have factored them into their project costs.

Figure 8 Additional Food Costs in remote rural settlements (2013) Additional costs (%) compared with English rural town Settlement Type Shopping Pattern Couple & 2 Single Adult children Town Supermarket 11% 12% Accessible Weekly supermarket in settlement: within 1-1.5 rural town, small local top- 10% 14% hours of town, no ferry up

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Inaccessible island Monthly supermarket settlement, within 2-2.5 shop in small town, larger 18% 20% hours of town (including local top-ups ferry)

Island settlement remote Local convenience store, 56% 56% from town or small branch of Co-op

Source: Centre for Research in Social Policy (2013)

The Food and Drink sector in the Outer Hebrides is growing and currently employs around 300 people. However, in 2012 it accounted for £18.5M in GVA, providing a higher than average GVA per job than the average (£61,666). However, this is lower than the equivalent Scottish GVA per job figure for Food and Drink manufacturing which is £97,350. Therefore, there is the potential to increase the GVA per job in the islands and the Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF Programmes could actively assist this sector by supporting related projects, developing their knowledge and enabling them to realise their potential.

Tourism The Outer Hebrides tourism sector was worth approximately £53m in 2013 and is one of the main sources of employment within the islands by engaging approximately 1000 people. It is relatively resistant to the effect of downturns in the national economy however seasonality and the struggle of successfully developing and maintaining year round businesses are some of the key issues, and weaknesses, which face the local tourism economy and therefore to alleviate this issue the industry could develop strategies including those that attract more visitors outwith the peak seasons. This is beginning to occur with the introduction of the ‘Hebtember’ festival and the annual ‘Isle of Harris Mountain Festival’ (first piloted through the 2007-2013 Outer Hebrides LEADER programme), both of which take place in September. However more can be undertaken to introduce innovative activities and events outwith the peak summer months and these actions could also include potential investment in facilities and infrastructure to enhance the visitor experience.

In 2013, the Outer Hebrides Tourism 2020 Leadership Group (OHT2020LG) – formerly known as the Outer Hebrides Area Tourism Partnership - updated its local visitor plan to reflect the new Scottish National Tourism Strategy ‘Tourism Scotland 2020’ which was published in 2012. The ‘Tourism Outer Hebrides 2020’ strategy provides a fresh approach for the local tourism industry whilst also articulating what the Outer Hebrides’ contribution to the National Strategy will be, through highlighting priorities and actions for all aspects of tourism development and these include focusing on culture and heritage, marine tourism, island networking, and food and drink to name just a few. The OHT2020LG shares the aspiration of growing the economic prosperity of the Outer Hebrides and comprises of

14 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

public and private local tourism stakeholders including VisitScotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Caledonian MacBrayne, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and the Outer Hebrides Tourism Industry Association.

‘Tourism Outer Hebrides 2020’ brings together the various aims and aspirations of its membership whilst also aligning with other strategies including the Outer Hebrides Economic Regeneration Strategy and the Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnerships Single Outcome Agreement. The strategy commits to a growth in the Outer Hebridean visitor economy to between £64-£67m by 2020.

Life sciences There is currently limited activity in the life sciences sector in the Outer Hebrides; however there are opportunities both through research and development around healthcare, and the production of natural products, to grow this high value sector. Recent investment by the world’s biggest chemical company, BASF, in the Outer Hebrides for the production of Omega 3 fatty acids, is further evidence of the expanding market for natural products in pharmaceutical and dietary supplements2.

A study is being conducted by the University of Dundee, in partnership with NHS Outer Hebrides, to explore how the use of technology may be used in the provision of supportive care to people with long-term conditions. There are opportunities for LEADER in exploiting these developments, where social enterprises or local capacity building can link into this sector.

Financial and business services Whilst on one hand in 2011 the Financial and Business services, although fairly small in employment terms, provided £28.7m in GVA for the Outer Hebrides on the other it is a high value sector with an average GVA per job of £71,500. While there are limited opportunities to grow financial services, there is constantly potential growth in business services due to changing markets, technologies, needs and wants. According to HIE3:

“the growing demand for specialist data centres, shared services and cloud computing, as well as the current movement towards home and community shoring models of employment provides a further opportunity for the Highlands and Islands to take a leading role in developing key aspects of the business services sector in Scotland.”

There will be a requirement that a minimum of 10% of the LAGs funding allocation is committed and spent on projects aiming to support small rural business growth. Liaison

2 HIE (2013) Science for Life 3 HIE (2010) Sectoral Strategy: Financial and Business Services

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with the business community has identified gaps that can be supported and assist with sustaining and/or establishing new rural enterprises.

Energy The energy sector is an important and growing sector that provides a good opportunity for skilled and high value jobs. In 2011, there were around 500 people employed in this sector in the Outer Hebrides, and with an average GVA per job of £81,400, this sector provides some of the highest value jobs in the local economy.

There are currently several onshore wind farms, some of these in Community ownership. Whilst these provide local employment and empower local communities, they also produce income from the local power generation that provides the opportunity for local private match funding to develop further economic and regeneration projects. There are offshore windfarms in the pipeline and huge potential for wave and tidal power generation. The Outer Hebrides Renewables Group identified that there are over 500MW of onshore wind consented, in planning or in development and up to 10GW anticipated from marine deployments. One example is Aquamarine Power's proposed wave farm on the Outer Hebrides, which could create hundreds of long-term skilled jobs. The 40MW Lewis wave farm could generate between 98 and 200 jobs during construction and inject up to £9 million a year into the Outer Hebrides and wider Highland economy4.

The Outer Hebrides SOA5 highlights that: “Community benefit in the form of lease rentals, profit sharing and returns from community schemes will lead to further opportunities throughout the islands.” As only some communities are installing wind turbines and will be benefiting from the income generated then there is a potential for there to be a number of ‘cash rich' and ‘cash poor’ communities throughout the Outer Hebrides. Therefore the LAG could work with the ‘cash poor’ communities and groups to assist them into finding alternative sources of funding and income to sustainably regenerate their districts. Furthermore the LAG could provide match funding to projects being supported by the funding to assist with regeneration and the development of communities and businesses.

Creative industries The creative industries have become a key sector in the Outer Hebrides, providing employment and income, and also linking into the culture and tourism. A strong creative industries sector will help to generate value within the tourism sector, the Outer Hebrides Creative and Cultural Industries Strategy6 stated that:

4 Aquamarine Power 5 Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership (2013) Forward Together , Outer Hebrides Single Outcome Agreement, 2013 - 2023 6 HIE (2012) Creative industries strategy published for the Outer Hebrides

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“The creative and cultural industries in the Outer Hebrides have recently been identified as supporting around 500 jobs and adding more than £33 million to the local economy, with particularly strong levels of employment in broadcasting, textiles and heritage.” This shows the sector is one of the few local industries which produce a GVA per job figure higher than the national level.

The employment intensity (proportion of the population employed) in the creative sector at 1.47% is slightly below the Scottish average of 1.62%. And there may be a further weakness in that some smaller ‘life-style’ businesses do not currently wish to grow.7 8

While the overall proportion of employment in Creative industries is noticeably below the Scottish average it is also beneath the figure for Orkney of 2% ( Shetland is at 1.64%)8, suggesting that there is significant potential for growth. The existing strong sub-sectors of Heritage, Textiles and Broadcasting may provide opportunities for further growth and the underdeveloped craft industry may, in combination with any growth in tourism, provide a further opportunity. These opportunities are reinforced by the Scottish Government’s Economic Strategy (GES) which identifies the Creative Industries as one of growth sectors.

HIE noted that, along with its partners, they are ”working with a number of individuals and businesses to grow the creative industries in the Outer Hebrides, creating new talent, networking opportunities and accessing new international markets. The creative industries have a substantial cultural community importance and together they make a vital and powerful contribution to the islands' economy."

Figure 9 Gross Value Added per job in growth sectors: Outer Hebrides and Scotland (2011)

Eilean Siar Scotland

£97,346 £90,734 £81,400 £66,000 £58,580 £61,667 £71,750 £20,143 £48,896 £35,447 £14,889

Food & Drink Tourism Energy Financial & Creative All sectors Business industries Services

7 DC Research Ltd., cogentsi, Pirnie ltd. and Dr Douglas Chalmers, Economic Impact Case Study: The Arts and Creative Industries in Eilean Siar (July 2012) 8 DC Research Ltd., cogentsi, Pirnie ltd. and Dr Douglas Chalmers, Economic Contribution Study: An Approach to the Economic Assessment of the Arts and Creative Industries in Scotland (June 2012)

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Fisheries Fishing is an important source of income in the Outer Hebrides, with the seas around the islands providing some of the best shellfish in the world. The fisheries industry in the Outer Hebrides is made up almost entirely of shellfish; with nephrops (prawns) being by far the most important catch; contributing nearly two thirds of the total value (£6.7m). Other important stocks are lobsters, crabs and scallops. In 2012 there were 371 people employed in fishing; 298 full-time employees, 56 seasonal employees and 17 crofters involved in fishing.

The scale of the fisheries sector in the Outer Hebrides has declined over recent years, with the number of trips dropping from 7,770 in 2008 to just 5,341 in 20129. The volume of the shellfish stock landed has also declined slightly by 1.8% over this period. However, although the fish landed in the Outer Hebrides accounts for less than 1% of the total in Scotland; its value accounted for 2.3% of the Scottish total in 2012. This suggests that the fishing resource in the area is of high value. Shellfish with an overall value of around £10.7M was landed in the Stornoway fishing District in 2012.

Being a coastal fisheries community the Outer Hebrides will benefit from the receipt of funding allocation from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). This will be administered through the Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs) who will work closely with the LAG. The LEADER administrative fund will fund the administration of this programme locally and therefore both LEADER and EMFF will provide complementary funding opportunities for communities within the Outer Hebrides. The FLAG will support the fisheries communities to develop projects to ensure the sustainability of the areas both within the industry and through diversification.

Qualifications NOMIS10 reports that in 2013 the proportion of the Outer Hebrides workforce with qualifications at Level 4 or above is slightly higher at 41.7% than the Scottish level 39.4%, and this has followed a pattern where the Outer Hebrides rate has generally mirrored the Scottish figures.

9 Scottish Government (2013) Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2012 10 Office for National Statistics - Qualifications (Jan 2013-Dec 2013) statistics

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However, as Figure 10 shows the Outer Hebrides has seen a steep fall in the proportion of the workforce with no qualifications, from 19.3% in 2004 to just 8.6% in 2012 in comparison to the rest of Scotland. Given that those with lower level skills are less likely to be mobile; this suggests successful targeting of training at those most disadvantaged in the labour market. It also suggests a considerable demand for skills in the local economy. The LAG will not support projects which will provide professional and academia recognised qualifications and will therefore support more targeted non-qualified training or workshops to specific areas like increasing community capacity or other related topics which are not currently available but relevant to LEADER or EMFF funded projects.

Figure 10 proportion of the workforce without qualifications

19.3% 15.8% 14.9% 14.6% 13.9% 13.6% 13.7% 13.9% 13.3% 12.3% 11.6% 10.4% 10.5% 10.5% 11.3% 10.7% 8.6%

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Source: NOMIS Annual Population Survey

Unemployment Unemployment levels in the Outer Hebrides in the year to September 2013 stood at 6.7%; this compares to 7.8% across Scotland. Unemployment, including those seeking work and not just those claiming Jobseekers Allowance, is generally lower in island communities as people are used to having to move to where there are more employment opportunities.

In the year to September 2013 economic inactivity - the number of people who are not working or actively looking for work - stood at 22.6% and is a similar level to the rest of Scotland and Great Britain. However, during the economic downturn the number of economically inactive people in the Outer Hebrides increased significantly, peaking at 31.3% in the year to March 2011. This suggests that the response to the economic crisis for many in the Outer Hebrides was to leave the labour market rather than to claim benefits.

The employment market is constantly changing and unexpected redundancies, as with what occurred with the closure of the GSH office in Tarbert in July 2014, will affect the market. Therefore the LAG, through managing the Rural Business Support Scheme, could support

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this sector through adopting various measures to provide employment and new opportunities for groups and individuals.

Poverty and social inclusion

Poverty can be defined in different ways, however Relative poverty before housing costs is the definition used by the Scottish Government to measure progress for National Indicator 14: "To decrease the proportion of individuals living in poverty".11 Households are defined as being in relative poverty if their equivalised net income before housing costs is less than sixty percent of the median Scottish household equivalised income. Material Deprivation, describes households lacking several items because they cannot afford them, which are regarded as essentials of life in Britain today by a majority of the population. Material deprivation tends to vary more than low income and has been suggested as a better indicator for pinpointing poverty. However, areas with high proportions of material deprivation tend to be large public /social sector housing areas, and this measure is therefore less well-suited to rural populations.

The most recent data at Local Authority level was published in 2010 and highlighted specific issues of poverty in more remote rural areas as well as in large urban communities. In the Outer Hebrides, one in four households was in relative poverty (25%) compared with 19% nationally. This reflects the low incomes and high proportion of elderly households in the islands.

The Income Modelling Project was commissioned by the Improvement Service in 2013 and carried out by Herriot Watt University with the aim of developing improved measures of local incomes and poverty in Scotland at small area level12. It provides insights of poverty and income inequality at sub local authority level across Scotland. It showed that there were eight local areas in the Outer Hebrides where more than 20% of households were poor, representing half of all the areas in the Highlands and Islands with poverty levels above 20%.

It also showed that material deprivation was highest in South Lewis, Harris and in Stornoway West. The more remote island communities contain a high proportion of elderly and retired households and offer limited employment opportunities. While many of these areas have lower proportions of materially deprived households, people in these communities are often disadvantaged further through isolation and limited access to services. This is an area of potential activity (support to the elderly) that social enterprises supported through LEADER can positively influence.

11 Scottish Government (2010) relative poverty across Scottish Local Authorities 12 Improvement Service (2013) Local Incomes and Poverty in Scotland; Heriot Watt University

20 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

Fuel poverty Fuel poverty is defined as households’ spending more than 10% of income on fuel and according to the Scottish Government’s most recent analysis of Fuel Poverty for Local Authority areas the Outer Hebrides has the highest proportion of overall fuel poverty in Scotland. Moreover they also have the highest proportion of severe and extreme fuel poverty (spending more than 20% of income on fuel). This is mainly attributed to the harsh climate, high fuel costs and low incomes.13 This report also suggests that:

 Levels of fuel poverty are most susceptible to fuel prices, followed by household income and then the energy efficiency of housing.  Rural areas are at highest risk from fuel poverty, likely due to a lack of access to cheaper fuels.  Fuel costs have risen almost six times faster than household income since 2004. This is one of the main causes of the rise in fuel poverty seen in recent years.

Projections of fuel poverty for 2011 show that fuel poverty is severe across most of the Highlands and Islands region, with between 40% and 57% of households defined as being in fuel poverty. For Island communities not on the gas network it is their reliance on more expensive fuels such as oil and solid fuels that impacts most on fuel poverty.

“Off‐gas properties are more likely to be rural and some argue that fuel poverty schemes often fail to address the fuel disadvantages of off‐grid or rural homes.”

The report identifies that there is evidence of an association between fuel poverty and mental well‐being, particularly the link between heating costs and increased levels of stress. If appropriate the LAG could assist to develop communities knowledge on energy saving and the variety of economical living measures which can be adopted.

Disability and health As outlined previously, the Outer Hebrides has a high proportion of its population aged 65 and over, meaning there are many older people dependent on their families, or on health and social services. The Outer Hebrides has the third highest dependency ratio in Scotland of older people aged 65 and over. According to the most recent DWP figures (February 2013), the proportion of the working age population in the Outer Hebrides who claim an Employment and Support Allowance or Incapacity Benefit is 6.2% compared with 7.8% across Scotland. However the proportion that claims disability allowance at 1.2% is the same as the Scottish rate, therefore the impact of poor health, caring and disability on

13 Scottish Government (2012)

21 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

economic activity and social interaction is likely to be far greater in the Islands because of the dispersed nature of the population and the cost and availability of transport. This is likely to be more of an issue in the more isolated parts of the Outer Hebrides, furthest from service centres.

The LEADER LAG and EMFF FLAG will ensure that they operate a fair and indiscriminate scheme that provides Equal Opportunities for all through providing additional assistance to groups or communities where needed.

This section has set out some of the key development needs and opportunities that will influence the shape of the LEADER strategy and some areas that the LAG and FLAG can support. These are:  The Outer Hebrides has a declining population with a higher proportion of older people that relies on in-migration to balance its population and workforce. Population decline has been greatest in some remote parts.  The Outer Hebrides has a lower rate of GVA per employee and a widening gap in economic performance when compared with the Highlands and Islands region and Scotland.  On one hand there is a high level of dependency on public sector jobs however on the other there has also been a reduction in employment in this sector recently, resulting in the need to find alternative employment.  There are higher than average rates of GVA per job in the energy, food and drink and creative industries sectors locally.  Tourism suffers from seasonal fluctuations in visitor numbers but opportunities outwith the peak months can be developed.  The rate of higher level skills in the workforce are similar to those across Scotland, however the Outer Hebrides has a lower proportion of people without any qualifications. This suggests a high demand for skills in the local economy.  The Outer Hebrides population is disadvantaged by poor transport, limited access to services and high concentrations of inactive households in many of the more remote parts of the islands.  Fuel poverty is highest in Scotland, particularly among older households and more action can be taken to alleviate this.

SWOT Analysis The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats that are relevant for The Outer Hebrides LEADER area will determine what priority actions are necessary to achieve the

22 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

outcomes that will make the biggest impact. We developed this SWOT based on the evidence outlined earlier and from the consultations carried out. Details of the consultations are set out in Chapter 3.

Figure 11 SWOT related to LEADER Strengths Weaknesses . High quality environment . Over reliance on small number of sectors . Success in renewable energy projects; wind . Declining working age population/ high power volume of older people . High profile tourist destinations . Poor telephone / broadband coverage . Unique Harris Tweed/Outer Hebrides brand . Dispersed population . Archaeological significant sites . Weak transport links . High quality and Specialist food and drink . High cost of transport . Exceptional quality fisheries, shellfish and . Higher cost of living; high delivery/courier marine sector costs . Voluntary sector willing to take up services . Volume of abandoned buildings . Vibrant Creative and cultural Industry . Seasonality of the tourism economy . Pristine unspoilt wilderness areas . Reliance on public sector employment . Proud Gaelic heritage . Deprivation - hard to target . Lack of higher skilled jobs . Infrastructure capacity/distribution . Lack of renewables testing areas and facilities for innovators Opportunities Threats . Natural products and pharmaceuticals . Younger and more skilled people leaving . Crofting and fishing development and . Transport infrastructure deteriorating diversification . Lack of power/ transmission infrastructure . High value fishing (and shellfish) . Reliability and capacity of ferries to and from . More land and marine in community the islands ownership . Reduction in town centre retail . Developing niche, high quality, food product . Reduced public sector funding . Land based recreation . Declining services in more remote areas . Broadcasting . More severely impacted by the recent . Capitalising on opportunities related to the downturn Hebridean Way . High levels of fuel poverty . Developing communities facilities, . Redundancies rejuvenating community spirit . Renewable energy resources (wind, wave, tidal) / Increase knowledge of Energy efficient measures . Develop visitor economy, lengthening visitor season, creating new tourism opportunities, developing Gaelic heritage . Cross sectoral links e.g. food/drink/ /archaeology/cultural and activity tourism

23 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

. Support Rural Enterprise Economy . Supportive social care . Island networks . Develop actions to attract young people back or to stay in the islands . Designated renewables testing areas

24 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

3. Engagement and Consultation

Consultation and community involvement is a key element of the approach expected within LEADER and this was at the heart of the LDS development and implementation. Engagement will take place throughout the programme to ensure community needs are taken into account. However to first gain an understanding of the needs and expectations of the community and how these can then be aligned with economic growth and jobs opportunities for the Outer Hebrides we carried through an extensive and integrated set of engagement activities. This included:

. An evaluation of the previous programme to learn what worked and why; . An online survey as part of the evaluation that included questions on the future priorities and outcomes; . Desk based research and data analysis that informed future consultation; . A facilitated Theory of Change workshop with LAG and key stakeholders to draft a logic model; . Five publically advertised, locally based community consultation events to test the Outcomes framework and refine the priorities to address local need; . Face to face interviews with key stakeholders; . Discussions on the viability of developing future projects with relevant groups following the outcomes of the consultations; . Draft of the LDS was posted on the LEADER website for public viewing and comment.

Involving local people

Engagement with local organisations and stakeholders will be and has been extensive. Needs were additionally identified from the evaluation of the previous programme (undertaken by Land Use Consultants) to ascertain what worked and what needed to be revised in delivery of a future LEADER programme and these have been taken into account.

25 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

Then facilitated consultation workshops were followed up by individual stakeholder interviews. These discussed the priority themes and outcomes to benchmark them against the needs and demands of local groups, organisations and communities.

Public Consultation as part of LEADER 2007-2013 evaluation

Land Use Consultants carried out a summative evaluation of the previous 2007-13 programme from January 2014 to March 2014. As part of the evaluation of the previous LEADER programme the consultants surveyed 35 key organisations and stakeholders who had an interest in the previous programme and who are expected to have an interest in the new 2014-20 programme. They launched two online surveys one targeted at recipients of LEADER funding and one at stakeholder organisations. Twenty six organisations responded to the post 2007-2013 programme survey and they were also asked about their views on the 2014-20 programme. These included public, private and community organisations including community trusts, social care, cultural and creative industries organisations, local government, and community enterprises. A number specified that they would like their names to remain confidential.

Stakeholder respondents (37.5%) stated that new priorities should be included in the next programme. We took the opportunity of asking these people about the future programme:

. Do you agree with these future priorities; and . Are there any additional priorities which should be reflected in the new Programme?

Stakeholder responses in the survey included demands for: . improved services and facilities . increased community capacity to take forward development initiatives

Similarly projects that were in receipt of funding stated (36.8%) that those additional priorities should be reflected in the new programme. They also indicated that the outcomes included in the new programme should include: . more maintenance or upgrading of local facilities . Support to crofting where no other support was available . increased local use of renewable energy . more vibrant creative industries . increased community capacity to take forward development initiatives . Improved local community transport

26 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

As well as stakeholders who were recipients of funding, partner organisations were asked about their views on future priorities. They wanted to see: . Services and facilities to achieve parity with the mainland . Additional support to build community capacity . Employment created beyond the project period

We identified from the survey responses that the outcomes identified at community engagement events that were taking place alongside this survey were relevant.

Workshop and Public meetings

A key feature of our consultation was a facilitated half day LAG and High level Stakeholder Group workshop (at Bridge Community Centre, Stornoway) in Stornoway on 10th February 2014 where over 20 different stakeholders were invited and the majority attended as follows (some organisations were represented by more than one individual):

Figure 12 LAG and High Level Stakeholder Group Organisations Represented Comhairle nan Eilean Siar – including Marine, Scottish Government - Rural Communities Regeneration and Policy officers Team Outer Hebrides Community Planning Highlands and Islands Enterprise Partnership Scottish Crofting Federation Community Energy Scotland Community Land Scotland/ Community Energy Scotland Board Member/ Scottish Western Isles Fisherman’s Association Rural Parliament Steering Group

Older Persons Partnership/ Tagsa Uibhist Scottish National Heritage Outer Hebrides LEADER Local Action Group Visit Scotland - Outer Hebrides

After the workshops we explored community needs and opportunities more widely by carrying out face to face interviews with key public and private stakeholders:

- Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CnES) Regeneration Officer / Renewables Officer and private member on many Community groups - Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnerships Co-ordinator - Head of Economic Development, CnES - Western Isles Fisherman’s Association - Chair of the Outer Hebrides LEADER 2007-13 LAG

27 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

During these discussions we were able to gather a more nuanced understanding of needs and issues facing the new programme.

“On the road” consultation Following on from the draft logic model and key priority outcomes agreed by the LAG and high level stakeholders we took this draft framework “on the road” to consult with local stakeholders and future potential applicants. Email blasts to all LEADER contacts and stakeholders, and posters, press releases and notices were posted in various key areas and all local newspapers and online to invite existing and new groups, and any new interested parties (businesses or individuals), to discuss what they would like the next programme to support. The meetings were held at the following places:

- Tuesday 11th February 2014, 9.15am – 11.00am, CnES Offices, Tarbert - Tuesday 11th February 2014, 2 – 4pm, CnES Offices, Stornoway - Wednesday 26th February 2014, 10.45am - 12.45pm, Balivanich Hall, Benbecula - Wednesday 26th February 2014, 3 - 5pm, Southend Hall, South Uist - Thursday 27th February 2014, 9.15am – 11.15am Craigard Hotel, Barra

Local groups received an outline of the programme and the draft priority outcomes and thematic areas identified by the LAG and key stakeholder workshop. We urged as many stakeholders including businesses, development officers, community group representatives, and even those merely interested in contributing to the strategy, to come along to put their views across. The following is the list of attendee’s at each consultation meetings:

Figure 13 Stornoway stakeholder consultations Organisation

Galson Estate Trust/ UOG CnES Renewables Officer Scottish Agricultural College CnES Regeneration Officers x 2

Bhaltos Community Trust CnES Community Education (Youth Engagement) CnES Economic Development Officer - Creative Outer Hebrides Tourism Industry Association Industries Comunn Eachdraidh Nis Third Sector Hebrides/Co Ceangall Innse Gall Harris Tweed Authority Galson Estate Trust/ UOG

Figure 14 Tarbert (Harris) community consultations Organisation

CnES Regeneration Officer Western Isles Community Care Forum West Harris Trust North Harris Trust x 3 representatives

28 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

Harris Voluntary Service

Figure 15 Attendees at South Uist and Barra North Uist and Benbecula Goular Common Grazing CnES Regeneration Officer Highlands and Islands Enterprise Tagsa Uibhist South Uist Askernish Golf Club/ Storas Uibhist dev. Officer Southend Community Hall Barra and Vatersay CnES Regeneration Officer Barra Children’s Centre Voluntary Action Barra and Vatersay Barra Heritage Centre Coimhearsnachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh

(Barra & Vatersay Community) Ltd (CBAB)

The aim of each meeting was to: - Build a clearer understanding of desired outcomes - Bring more clarity of themes - Focus on the changes (outcomes) that matter - Understand what interventions will help LAG deliver outcomes - Identify any delivery issues.

We wanted to highlight the proposed themes and discuss Lewis, Harris, Uists, Barra and Vatersay’s needs and agree some broad objectives and priorities which should be included or considered in the next LEADER strategy. The next LEADER programme will continue to support and promote community-led initiatives however it will also be more focused to assist existing strategies to achieve their aims. We informed people that if they could not attend the morning meeting but would still like to contribute, then a 30/40 minute interview with Hall Aitken can be arranged. While visiting to deliver workshops an additional meeting was held with the Barra Children and Family Centre.

At a separate event, the Third Sector Hebrides Roadshow which also travelled throughout the Outer Hebrides, we supplied the organisers with a tear-off sheet to distribute to attendee’s to help capture views. Their responses were included in the overall results.

29 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

Figure 16 Tearoff sheet Outcomes Outcomes (Changes that (Changes that you would like Intervention you would like Intervention to see) - Please (What kind of to see) - Please (What kind of Draft Theme start with project could Draft Theme start with project could actions words deliver this actions words deliver this like More, change?) like More, change?) Increased, Increased, Lower, etc. Lower, etc. Renewable energy and SME support efficiency Sustainable Enhancing development of services and crofting and facilities fisheries Natural/cultura l heritage (incl. Equal

Gaelic), tourism Opportunities and leisure

Other (Please Other (Please specify) specify)

Online LDS Review Consultation Once a draft version of the LDS was prepared it was then posted on to the Outer Hebrides LEADER website to provide the public with the opportunity to learn what came out of the consultations. Press releases and announcements were issued to direct and inform the general public and stakeholders of this opportunity and to allow them to further provide their views, suggestions and contributions which have also been taken on board and incorporated into the final LDS document.

Working with key partners

The Outer Hebrides LEADER LAG recognises that it is important to continue and further develop community engagement during the implementation of the LDS, that this is closely linked to animation activities and that it is important to work with partners to ensure integration with existing activities to avoid duplication and to maximise impact in the local area.

30 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

The LAG will continue to apply the ‘one to many’ principle by continuing to work with key partnerships and networks relevant to the LAGs area of activity and this includes individual organisations. The recruitment of LAG members will be an open and transparent process inviting any public, private or voluntary organisation or individual to sit on the board with the stipulation that they are active in their sectors and can adequately relay information, needs and wants to and from the LAG. In addition, the LAG will seek to build on and strengthen links with key partnerships such the OH Community Planning Partnership as well as developing cooperative working with the Scottish National Rural Network and other LAGs.

The LAG will work to build trust, understanding and honesty between each partner and will have responsibility for taking decisions on projects which are community driven and have a wide community benefit. It is anticipated that the LAG will be a partnership made up of representatives from a range of sectors including:

- The Local Authority (CnES) - Highlands and Islands Enterprise - Business Community - Fisheries and Crofting Sector Representatives - Other public agencies - Voluntary groups/ Third Sector - Community groups - Key Sectoral Representatives - Identified Target Groups

The LAG will be supported by LEADER and EMFF officers, and the member’s duties will include appraising projects, making recommendations for approval based on the fit with LDS, monitor Programme activity, and ensure that the LEADER programme objectives are being met. They will also communicate with the Scottish Government over programme matters and relay information to the wider public on spend and progress against objectives.

The following are the roles and responsibilities for each key partner involved in the operation of the Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Programmes:

 Outer Hebrides Local Action Group – Responsible for the delivery, management and strategic direction of the Local Development Strategy. Facilitates animation and community engagement in the LAG area in partnership with other networks;  Accountable Body (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) – Delegated body for administering the LEADER finances, under the terms of a Service Level Agreement with the Scottish Government. They will be responsible for providing facilities from which to operate the administrative functions and they will also manage the employment

31 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

and Human Resources support to staff employed to administer the programme. They will operate the programme on behalf of the LAG.  The Managing Authority – within the Scottish Government and their role will be to support the LAGs in achieving their objectives against regulations. Provide support with projects and assist with and promote networking opportunities within and outside of Scotland.  The Paying Authority – within The Scottish Government to ensure that all payments and claims are made within the rules of both the EU and the Scottish Governments regulations.

Co-operative Projects and Networking

Networking and Co-operation will be a key element of the next programme and the Outer Hebrides LAG will ensure that both programmes enable and exploit any of these opportunities. The potential to innovate and network will be realised in a number of ways including by providing support to existing local Outer Hebrides networks to ensure that the communication channels are available to disseminate best practice case studies to a wide variety of people and organisations. However the LAG will also seek to bring together new networks to allow partnership working and transfer of knowledge to take place.

Road shows, area events and an annual conference will be arranged to provide groups and individuals the opportunity to meet and discuss their projects, transfer best practice and exchange innovative ideas. This may be undertaken by arranging events in the islands or by travelling to the mainland, or further afield, to attend and take part in these opportunities.

The LEADER staff will have delegated responsibility to open up discussions with potential network partners. They will also, along with selected LAG members attend events to widen the network and links between the Outer Hebrides and other LAGs.

Cooperation should take place between rural LAG areas in a single Member State (inter- regional cooperation) or between LAG areas in several Member States and even beyond (transnational cooperation). Cooperation should result in real added-value for the Scottish area concerned. It may have two, often corresponding, objectives including to achieve the critical mass required for a common project to be viable and to identify complementarities.

Guidance in the previous programme stated that cooperation must involve the implementation of a joint project, if possible supported by a shared structure. To that end, it is expected that cooperation will involve pooling know-how and/or human and financial resources scattered throughout all the LAG areas concerned. Cooperative projects will come under the strategic guidelines clearly defined by the local action groups in their

32 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

development plan. The Initiative supports the creation of high quality partnerships among various parties; the managing authorities will pay particular attention to the quality of the projects as shown by the level of involvement of the partners, the relevance of the measures proposed in terms of the objectives of the project, the soundness of the methodology, the clarity of the budget and the management of the proposed project.

In the previous Programme exchanges took place between the Outer Hebrides LAG and other LAGs, including the Aland Islands in the Baltic Sea. It is anticipated that the LAG will identify Scottish, UK and European LAGs to share good practice and exchanges. Examples of Island Groups coming together to develop innovative approaches to branding food product or marketing craft items created have been outlined in seminars such as the INSPIRE event at the Hilton Grosvenor, Glasgow 20 March 2014.

There is a strong commitment within Highlands and Islands, including other Scottish island groups, to deliver more co-operation projects in the 2014-2020 LEADER programme. The required greater focus on this aspect of LEADER is acknowledged and there is a genuine willingness and desire to work together where possible with other LAGS, both in Scotland and further afield. Initial discussions about potential areas of co-operation took place between neighbouring LAGs in the North of Scotland in early 2014 and the following are a number of the potential projects that can be developed:

 focus on culture, heritage, and young people (predominately retention but also attracting and welcoming incomers)  community-based archaeology (knowledge transfer trail), tourism (festivals, extending of tourism season, nature tourism), sustainable rural transport, creative industries, agricultural diversification  scope to expand co-operation out with Scotland (possibly Scandinavia or Ireland, based on similarities in our shared heritage)  Inter-generational projects regardless of project sector  Training for young people and encouragement to get involved in community groups/board membership to address volunteer burnout, bring new ideas and energy into communities  sharing of best practice around running of festivals, promoting the local area and managing community-based heritage centres or other community enterprises  EMFF co-operation projects, possibly around marine conservation, marine tourism or diversification,  Cultural exchange programmes (volunteers from heritage centres, museums, etc.) either within or outwith Scottish LAGs  Access to services – particularly for disabled, young people and older people in more remote rural areas, social inclusion, rural transport, rural shops and broadband

33 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

 Potential to share a communications resource/ partnership working animateur across LAG areas  Potential to develop a LEADER Forum/ examine challenges and barriers of different approaches to community capacity development.

Whilst these all fit with the local LEADER aspirations they will require further exploration to identify their merits, prioritise them and ascertain the desire of local communities, individuals and businesses to take part in co-operation projects.

Youth Strategy

Attracting young people to be involved in the LAG and supporting innovative youth initiatives have always been an aspiration of the Outer Hebrides LAG. The LAG became aware of a European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) youth initiative that considers how best to improve the ways in which rural youth and young farmers can benefit from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) support and are interested in how this strategy could be adapted and transferred locally to the Outer Hebrides. The ENRD initiative supported young people by:

. identifying and understanding what worked well and less well in the implementation of RDPs in regards to supporting young farmers and rural youth; . exploring ways in which young people can be involved in the design and implementation of rural development policy at EU, national and regional level; and . raising awareness of the possibilities offered by rural development policy in support of youth in rural areas, while emphasising the needs of young people.14

As the LAG would like to transfer this initiative to the Outer Hebrides by adapting it to suit the local culture and landscape the LAG will have to decide on a number of areas including whether the youth initiative requires to operate within a specific age bracket as the definition of youth can vary according to stakeholders’ perceptions. However, as ENRD experience has shown, the lack of a unique definition meant that the initiative took an inclusive approach when studying the multiple actions and projects targeting the rejuvenation of rural areas. As far as young farmers/crofters are concerned, the ENRD initiative adopted the definition used by the rural development regulation. In particular, the eligibility condition that the beneficiary be less than 40 years old to receive support for setting up as a young farmer (measure 112), in the Outer Hebrides this may also take into account young fishermen.

14 http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/themes/youth-and-young-farmers/thematic-initiative/en/thematic-initiative_en.cfm

34 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

The Outer Hebrides LAG received inspiration on these youth initiatives following their attendance at a LEADER Conference in Glasgow in 2014, with regards to youth work that has been successful in Sweden this encouraged the LAG to investigate the idea of incorporating ‘Youth LAGs’ and/or ‘Youth Coaches’ in the area to engage and enthuse young people to become more active in rural development and actions occurring in their areas. The ‘Youth LAG’ would provide young people with the opportunity to decide what developmental work should be taking place in the Outer Hebrides through appraising and commissioning related projects, allowing them not only to take an proactive role in deciding what occurs in the area but also assisting to develop analytical, financial and social skills.

Taking further inspiration from the Swedish model, ‘Youth Coaches’ could support projects coming both from young people and for young people and this could also be sustained by the launch of an umbrella project to support this work. The coaches could support the young people’s projects by making them aware of the schemes, assisting with applications, developing their project management and financial skills, and also teaching them about marketing and writing press releases, through to monitoring the projects to their closure. The LAG could also investigate the development of a national or international co-operation project with other LAGs who are looking into operating similar schemes, or have already introduced these, to establish networking events to transfer skills and learn from each other.

Development of these proposals may also encourage the young people to take an interest in community development and also help steer their career paths. Furthermore by developing and participating in these schemes it may encourage them to stay or return to the islands after university. To identify the need or want for this concept the LAG decided to investigate it by consulting on the initiatives with young people throughout the Outer Hebrides. The LAG may also wish to support the proposal of developing Stornoway as a University Town as this may attract young people to stay and come to learn in the islands and consequently to actively take part in extracurricular activities including community and economic development.

Youth Consultation

Following the wider Local Development Strategy public consultations for the Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Programmes which were held throughout the Outer Hebrides, a small scale consultation specifically targeting younger people was additionally undertaken to gain their views on Community Development and the feasibility of a ‘Youth LAG’ to encourage young person participation in the 2014-2020 Programme. This involved:

35 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

 A survey that included questions on views of their local community and level of community engagement;  One hand-picked, small focus group  One publically advertised, locally based focus group meeting  Engagement with local Community organisations regarding recruitment of voluntary Young People

Online Survey An online survey targeted at young people in the Outer Hebrides was launched to a wide variety of networks and made publically available online. Sixty-two individuals throughout the Outer Hebrides responded to the survey and were asked about their views on their communities, community development and the creation of a ‘Youth LAG’.

The majority of respondents noted the best thing about living in the Outer Hebrides to be the landscape and the sense of community, however the worst points included:  Poor transport services  Remoteness  Lack of job opportunities

We invited comments on how young people would improve where they live:  improved and affordable services and facilities  more events/ activities  Equal opportunities with mainland in terms of jobs and shop/ facility opening times

Almost half (48.65%) of the thirty-six people who responded to the question were aware of the Community Economic Development in their area with just over half (55.56%) having been involved in Community Projects previously. The LAG may wish to undertake projects or exercises throughout the Outer Hebrides to educate and introduce young people to what is involved in economic community development and the community and personal benefits that can be drawn from participation.

The majority (61.11%) agreed that the formulation of a young person’s group that can decide and manage how money is spent on community projects which would be of benefit to young people would be a positive implementation. The ideas on what kinds of projects the young person’s group would undertake in communities are types that actually can be supported through LEADER and these included:  Organising Community events/ activities  Arranging training/ skills opportunities to assist with employment  Venues for Young People to meet socially (not bars/public houses)

36 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

Whilst the respondents were generally supportive of the creation of a young person’s group to facilitate community development, their desire to partake in the group was low with only 21.21% responding ‘Yes’; 42.42% ‘maybe’ and 36.36% responding ‘No’. This shows that, through involving engaged and interested young people, there is an appetite for the initiative to be piloted in the Outer Hebrides.

Co-operation has already been defined as an integral role in the 2014-2020 Programme which will also impact upon any creation of a ‘Youth LAG’. Half of respondents (54.55%) indicated a positive response to linking with other youth groups from around Scotland to develop similar projects and learn from each other. These exchanges will provide young people with the opportunity to transfer knowledge, network and learn new practices from others in similar situations.

Finally, respondents were consulted on the most effective way to communicate with young people about issues affecting where they live; the majority of responses included face-to- face (66.67%) and social media (60%) as the preferred methods. Other suggestions included organised presentations.

Small Focus Group Meeting A small test focus group was organised by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s Community Education Office with three selected young people from their local training Programme on Thursday 26th July 2014 where they also discussed the Online Survey which they had all completed.

The young people acknowledged that they knew very little about Economic Development, though one of them had heard about LEADER as they were involved in the Youth Engagement Project Youth Conference (a 2007-2013 Outer Hebrides LEADER Programme project)

The young people had mostly positive views of the island which included:  Close Community  Scenery  Family Links However not all were positive, with specific reference made to bus services.

All members were currently on training programmes within the local authority and felt that they had good local knowledge of opportunities. The young people had been involved in various community projects including organising a youth conference, being a member of a youth committee and volunteering at local halls.

The young people supported the idea of having a Youth LAG, with adult guidance and assistance. They felt young people having a say in how money is spent would make the

37 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

projects more effective and meet their needs. It was perceived to be beneficial as local authority council members are generally over the age of 25 and therefore may not be able to accurately represent the group. However, one young person felt that having older people making decisions for young people was not always a bad thing, as a lot could be learnt from them and felt a balance would be good.

Public Focus Group Meeting A key feature of the consultation was a publically arranged focus group that took place in Stornoway on Thursday 27th June 2014. The Focus Group was facilitated by Outer Hebrides LEADER staff and two young student placements whose remit included supporting the LEADER Programme. Despite the wider circulation and public online advertisements, attendants were comprised predominately of eight public sector Student Summer Placements with an age range of 17 – 22.

The aim of the Focus Group was to:  Test the newly identified themes for the 2014-2020 Programme with Young People  Follow-up discussions on the main points raised in the online surveys  Discuss the issues surrounding the creation of a Youth LAG.

The identified 2014-2020 Programme themes were highlighted and explained to the Focus Group, however the group feedback was limited and whilst they did not appear to agree with the themes nor did they highlight any as being omitted.

Views on local Community On the whole the Group were generally happy living in the Outer Hebrides though remoteness was an issue that the young people felt hindered the opportunities available to them with poor bus services preventing the ability to attend events and visit friends in different communities. It was suggested that if services cannot be improved then events should be held in a more communal location.

Some points that were fed back from the Survey were discussed, with the young people disagreeing that the town lacked a variety of shops. The Group’s opinions on shops and facilities opening times were divided with some citing a six-day week as a benefit of Outer Hebrides life whilst others felt that facilities should be made available for those who wish to use them, as per other areas in Scotland.

The group felt there were not enough organised events/ activities available in their local communities, with most activities aimed at younger school children other than 16-24 year olds. The group recognised that events and activities were often organised at their local community centres but they did not attend them, as often they were unaware that they were on or felt they were to attract older people and not all ages. The LAG could therefore

38 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

investigate the potential of supporting events targeting this group and ensuring they are widely publicised.

Youth LAG The idea of a ‘Youth LAG’ was explained to the young people who felt that such a group would be beneficial to the young people of the Outer Hebrides; however no-one raised any interest in participating in the LAG and were sceptical that members could be recruited successfully. Reasons the young people gave for not wishing to participate in the LAG included:  Too busy  Slow timescales – it is perceived that little transpires from the ideas that are discussed  Not willing to work unpaid

The Group were unsure how attitudes could be changed to encourage young people to participate but agreed that providing an incentive such as training to help with employment would be beneficial. College students were thought to be the best target group for LAG participation along with local trade apprentices. The Group thought it would be harder to engage young people below the age of 16 as there would be limited interest with no perceived benefits. It was envisaged that only those looking for employment or applying to university would be interested as it would give this section of young people a personal advantage.

The group agreed that the likely way to change perceptions was for the LAG to engage with schools and to set a vision from an early school age that participation in local groups, outwith school, is common-place and could be fun, with meetings being more interactive.

The potential make-up and processes of a Youth LAG was discussed and it was agreed that a group of young people making decisions would be more viable than an individual sitting on the main LAG as it could be intimidating for that person and prevent valuable input. The group suggested that a young person representative from each community could be seated on the Youth LAG to ensure that no single or same few, communities were receiving all the benefits and that each community had a young voice.

The group were split on whether a forum would work with some suggesting that no-one would use it while others disagreed and thought it would work well as some young people are not comfortable speaking face-to-face. It was accepted that meetings being held every 6-8 weeks was reasonable to keep members engaged but also not burdensome.

The focus group results support the survey’s findings with respect to the implementation of a Youth LAG and encouraging the LAG to engage with young people to educate them on

39 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

community economic development and encourage them to be proactive in their communities.

Co-operation Co-operation has been established as having a major role in the 2014-2020 European Funding Programme, however the young people failed to see the wider community benefits of linking with other young person’s groups nationally and internationally and that the opportunities this can provide would need to be clearer. There is therefore some more work here for the LAG to undertake to improve their understanding of the benefits of co- operation and partnership working to achieve developments. This will also include identifying the best projects and partners that would make the initiatives valuable and worthwhile.

Working with Local Organisations Local Trusts within the Outer Hebrides were contacted to ascertain their current level of youth engagement and their desire to have a young person representative within their organisation. Only one of the 4 organisations that responded reported having a young person on their Board at present but all felt a young person’s representation was invaluable to their community. Other organisations have found it difficult to recruit young individuals but are enthusiastic about having representation for their community. The LAG could work with local groups, organisations and trusts to engage with young people to encourage participation in community development in their localities.

At school level the Curriculum of Excellence allows for pupils to choose electives that are held within a working environment. Practices for other agencies currently working with the local schools can be adopted to explore the possibility of a placement on a Youth LAG being available as an elective.

Youth Strategy Conclusions It is recommended that a Youth LAG be established in the 2014-2020 Programme. Where possible the Youth LAG should be comprised of young people from differing communities throughout the Outer Hebrides, and they could also have an initial anchor role within another local organisation. Participation should also be sought from various other avenues and the possibility of making a place available on the Youth LAG as part of a school elective should be explored.

Despite a clear ‘Yes’ to participate in the LAG, a considerable proportion were unsure but open to persuasion after more information. Participation in the Youth LAG will have to be widely publicised with clear incentives to be established and highlighted, such as training.

40 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

The consultations identified the objectives and priorities that the 2014-2020 Programme should focus upon. Furthermore it revealed that the LAG should engage with young people early to educate and inform them of the opportunities available in community economic development both for the benefit of their local areas and to assist in their personal development and skills.

Continuous Engagement and Participation

The LAG and FLAG will ensure that they continuously engage with individuals, communities and businesses throughout the Programme to allow them the opportunity to contribute to the actions and also participate. Through ensuring the seven main LEADER principles are adhered to (Bottom-up developments, Co-operation, Networking, Partnership working, area based approach, innovation and integrated and multi-sectoral Actions) will also guarantee that the LAG and FLAG liaise with not only each other but also with other parties and individuals to support innovative developments and actions. This will ensure a top-down culture does not creep in to the programme.

The Communications Plan, as set out in the Business Plan, notes the methods that the LAG will employ to ensure continuous engagement and dialogue takes place to allow bottom up development to take place. This will include utilising press releases, newsletters, events, social media updates, and sectoral marketing and identification to name just a few of the tools. The LAG will ensure knowledge is transferred and opportunities are created to network, exchange ideas and to identify what is happening in the area or what needs to transpire. This will take place throughout the programme for both LEADER and EMFF to warrant participation and engagement.

41 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

4. Outer Hebrides LEADER & EMFF Strategy Objectives

The Europe 2020 strategy indicates that future economic growth in the EU should be smart, sustainable and inclusive. It is focused on five ambitious goals in the areas of employment, innovation, education, poverty reduction and climate/energy and sets specific headline targets for them.

Europe 2020 is the European Union’s ten-year growth strategy. It is about more than just overcoming the crisis which continues to afflict many of our economies. It is about addressing the shortcomings of our growth model and creating the conditions for a different type of growth that is smarter, more sustainable and more inclusive. To make this more tangible, five key targets have been set for the EU to achieve by the end of the decade of which the Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF objectives would tie into concerning intelligent, sustainable and inclusive growth. These include employment, education, research and innovation, social inclusion and poverty reduction, and climate/energy.

At national level many obstacles to competition and job creation will be removed using the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). Specifically, the Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF LDS will help Scotland make measurable progress towards:  Increasing labour market participation  Addressing social exclusion and unemployment  Developing an environmentally friendly and resource efficient economy.

In line with Europe 2020 and the overall CAP objectives three long-term strategic objectives can be identified for EU rural development policy in the 2014-2020 period:

 improving the competitiveness of agriculture;  the sustainable management of natural resources and climate action; and  a balanced territorial development of rural areas.

For the purposes of managing rural development policy through Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) these broad objectives are given more detailed expression through six priorities. These are:

1. Fostering knowledge transfer in agriculture, forestry and rural areas 2. Enhancing the competitiveness of all types of agriculture and enhancing farm viability 3. Promoting food chain organisation and risk management in agriculture

42 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

4. Restoring, preserving and enhancing ecosystems dependent on agriculture and forestry 5. Promoting resource efficiency and supporting the shift toward a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy in agriculture, food and forestry sectors 6. Promoting social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas

Each RDP priority identifies specific areas of intervention (focus areas) and provides the basis for programming and rolling out the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) support to EU rural areas. LEADER is included within Scotland’s RDP (nationally called the SRDP).

Several EU funds provide additional support for rural areas alongside the EAFRD, namely the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the Cohesion Fund (CF) and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). In order to deliver greater European added value and maximise synergies, in 2014-2020 all European Structural and Investments funds (ESI funds) will concentrate their support on achieving the EU2020 headline targets and will be coordinated under a Common Strategic Framework (CSF). The Funds will work together, when appropriate to enable the project to maximise its potential and benefits. LEADER is most likely to deliver against the Priority 6 which focusses on:

 Facilitating diversification, creation of new small enterprises and job creation.  Promoting local development in rural areas.  Enhancing accessibility to, and use and quality of ICT in rural areas.

Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Priority Themes and Objectives

The consultative prioritisation exercise with local stakeholders and community groups identified the cross-sectoral themes that the Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 programme should focus on. The themes were also guided by the ‘Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council’ which identified actions related to:

 Driving community action on climate change  Enhancing rural services and facilities; including transport  Enhancing natural/cultural heritage; tourism and leisure  Supporting food and drink initiatives  Building co-operation between LAGs in Scotland; UK and Europe

Participants were encouraged to prioritise a small numbers of options at any time; based on evidenced need and consultation and then developed a group consensus. These priorities

43 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

were then checked and validated by the further community consultations across the Outer Hebrides.

Therefore the agreed key objectives of the Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy are to:  Promote Renewable energy and efficiency  Support and Develop Rural Services and Facilities  Develop and Aid new Tourism Initiatives – focusing on Natural, Archaeological, Creative, Cultural and Gaelic Heritage  Support and encourage the development of SME’s and Community Enterprises  Develop Crofting related ideas and Encouraging Diversification  Support Community Fisheries and Marine initiatives  Network with LAGs in Scotland, UK and Europe.

At the same time we intend to include a Horizontal Theme: Equal Opportunities in rural communities. This would ensure the issues facing groups at risk of exclusion such as Young and Older People and women, among others, are protected.

The Outer Hebrides LEADER LAG will achieve these whilst ensuring that the seven main principles of LEADER (Bottom-up developments, Co-operation, Networking, Partnership working, area based approach, innovation and integrated and multi-sectoral Actions) will be inherent in the Outer Hebrides programme.

Outer Hebrides LEADER 2014-2020 programme priority outcomes

The community engagement and research assisted to identify the priority outcomes for this programme and consequently were ratified by the local community. Therefore supported interventions within our identified themes will seek to achieve the following outcomes:

 Increased local community capacity During the consultation phase it was identified by local organisations that capacity building was needed. Sustainable communities and increased capacity was identified as a priority at the Tarbert and Stornoway workshops. Improved skills and more expertise are essential to enable local groups and organisations to take advantage of further opportunities. It was identified there was a need for LEADER to build skills and capacity within organisations in different sectors including the renewable energy sector, for example, or within social

44 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

enterprises relating to the food/drink industry. The SWOT analysis also identified weak infrastructure as a capacity issue. Finally when past recipients of funding and key future stakeholders were surveyed on their priorities for the new programme they identified a need to build local capacity and this could include a variety of methods including enabling feasibility studies and other research to take place or workshops and training to be arranged. Our logic model clearly shows how this is needed before further outcomes can be delivered.

 More sustainable communities Our research evidence clearly shows that there is a need for an improved population balance. The Outer Hebrides has an older population than the national level which results in a declining working age population. We have also identified areas where population decline is an issue and therefore the LEADER LAG actions need to focus on retaining younger people in the Outer Hebrides and promoting in-migration of younger households as the SWOT analysis showed a threat in the younger more skilled people leaving the area. This indicates a need to make areas more sustainable by providing good quality jobs, improving community services and business opportunities and strengthening pride in the areas culture.

 Increased local product / service The GVA of the Outer Hebrides in 2011 was only 5.2% of the Highlands and Islands total. Figures show a weakening against regional and national economies. Food and Drink is a key growth sector for the Scottish Government and this sector provides a higher GVA per job than average in the Outer Hebrides. Accordingly by the LAG and FLAG supporting businesses and projects focusing on benefiting and sustaining this sector it will help to improve the local GVA as a consequence. Additionally at the Inspire: Be Inspired LEADER conference on 20th April 2014 at Glasgow’s Hilton Hotel workshops reflecting case studies of comparable Scandinavian areas outlined the advantages of building this sector. Furthermore this would also include the added value that could be introduced to an existing product or service which would also be a benefit to other key sectors including Manufacturing and Processing, and new Research and Development opportunities.

 Improved services and facilities By improving services and facilities the LAG will be able to support the development of sustainable communities. Consultation with the young people identified that facilities and services need to be developed and this could include community generated projects or the development of small rural businesses or diversification projects.

 Increased links and Partnerships formed By supporting the development of new partnerships and creating opportunities to allow beneficiaries to network and create links with similar or complementary groups it will

45 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

provide groups, trusts and/or enterprises with forums to learn new practices, transfer knowledge and create new possibilities for future joint working. Whilst this refers to any stakeholder or individual it could also include the LAG as developing their knowledge and skills by undertaking learning journey’s or visits will assist the programme to innovatively and confidently deliver on the LDS.

 Increase in crofting activity Crofting is the traditional way of using the land in a sustainable and flexible way and is a key part of Hebridean culture. Crofting was identified as a strength and an opportunity in the SWOT analysis and at consultations. By the LAG helping to support and diversify the sector, their efforts will hopefully make it more productive and attractive to younger people and those who have not previously been involved in crofting. Furthermore by encouraging crofters to diversify their activities it can assist to sustain their futures and communities as a result. Agricultural tourism (or Agri-tourism) is a relatively new sector within the Outer Hebrides that the LAG can explore and promote.

 Development of fishing communities While fisheries have declined over the years the value of the resource is high. Therefore there is an opportunity to take advantage of some of the high quality produce which is available to add value and diversify the fishing sector which the FLAG, through the EMFF Programme, can support and assist with. Line caught high value fish and excellent quality shellfish could provide an opportunity for the LAG and FLAGs to undertake multi-funded projects by linking in with a food and drink project and potentially aligns with the visitor economy. Marine tourism was also identified at the community workshops as a potential intervention to be supported. Assisting marine and fishery related enterprises will help sustain the sector and also add value to the local economy. This could also include supporting young people into the sector and diversification into or from marine related activities.

 Improved innovative local transport solutions Research evidence outlined that relative poverty in certain areas throughout the Outer Hebrides was high with isolation and limited access to services being the major contributors. The additional food costs for an island settlement compared to an English Rural town is 56%. The SWOT analysis did identify weak transport links, dispersed population, high cost of transport and transport infrastructure deteriorating but also identified a strength that the voluntary sector would be willing to take up services. During the consultations with community based organisations it was articulated that Community Transport was essential to link people, especially young people, to job opportunities and growth. Transport is also essential to link older people into social services and shopping opportunities and may therefore be supported by the LAG.

46 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

 Improved energy efficiency and more community renewable energy opportunities The SWOT analysis also recognised successful renewable energy projects and the opportunity to exploit wind, wave and tidal energy. Research though indicated that the Outer Hebrides has one of the highest levels of fuel poverty in the UK partly because many communities are not on the gas network but also because of the sparsity and remoteness of the area. Developing opportunities to access locally produced renewable energy from community owned businesses would be beneficial. The statistics show that GVA per job in the energy sector is higher than other sectors across the Outer Hebrides. Supporting the development of new technologies will be of benefit to communities, the LAG can also support those communities who do not – as of yet – have renewable income to rely on to build their communities services and quality of life.

 Increased visitor economy The SWOT identified the area as a high profile tourist destination with a vibrant creative and cultural industry. There is the opportunity to further develop niche, high quality tourism to grow a higher GVA per job than the national level and to create a higher proportion of year round tourism related employment opportunities. The LAG can support a number of projects focusing on most of the identified objectives which would contribute to delivering this outcome including networking and collaborative projects, food and drink or cultural heritage projects to supporting rural businesses and diversification.

The LAG could also develop projects which support the Scottish Focus Years as follows:  2015 - Year of Scotland’s Food and Drink  2016 - Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design  2017 – Year of History, Heritage, and Archaeology  2018 – Year of Young People Each of the above fit with the identified local objectives, with youth elements expected to be built into each year and therefore the LAG can support initiatives that also contribute to this national strategy.

 Employment opportunities created Where the economic downturn resulted in a decrease in employment opportunities the LAG can work with communities and organisations to develop new projects to support the development of posts by focusing on the identified objectives. This will also include supporting the Rural Business, Community and Social Enterprise sectors.

 Gaining new knowledge and skills One of the LEADER principles is to create opportunities for actors to acquire new skills and transfer knowledge between each other. The LAG will support this aim by developing and assisting projects which allow beneficiaries to develop their skills, and learn new methods of

47 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

undertaking and delivering processes and activities. This can be obtained through networking with other LAGs and groups in Scotland, UK or transnationally.

Linking themes and outcomes

Figure 17 below sets out how activities under the LDS priority themes will link to the identified outcomes. However it is anticipated that a number of the outcomes are cross- cutting as they will also be products of a number of the themes.

Figure 17 Linking themes and outcomes Priority Themes Example activities Outcomes - Improved energy efficiency and more community renewable - Local feasibility studies into energy opportunities - Community action on community renewable projects, - Increased local community renewable energy and - training and support, capacity efficiency - Information Events. - More sustainable communities - Management support - Gaining new knowledge and skills gained - Supporting local community-led - More sustainable communities services such as shops and - Improved and innovative - Enhancing rural services transport services. transport solutions and facilities - Improve or build Visitor Facilities - Increased local community - Developing supportive services capacity - Supporting collaboration and networking for local businesses in - Supporting natural/ - Increased local community these sectors. archaeological/ creative, capacity - Establishing sectoral working cultural and Gaelic - Increased visitor economy groups heritage - More sustainable communities - Events, festivals, pathways and links - Support for small and community-based enterprises - More sustainable communities building on local assets. - Increased local community - Business planning and product capacity - Micro-business and support - Increased and/or new local Community Enterprise - Capacity building products - Building partnerships and - Developing employment networks opportunities - Innovative solutions/ developments - Support for crofting and - Increase in crofting activity developing businesses linked to - Development of fishing - Sustainable development crofting. communities of Crofting and Fisheries - Support for business - Increased and/or new local areas development and diversification products

around traditional fishing - More sustainable communities communities

48 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

- Capacity Building and sustainable development - Increased local community - Networking with LAGs in - Network support and events capacity Scotland, UK and Europe. - Developing collaborative projects - Gaining new knowledge and skills gained

We have identified indicators that will help the LAG to assess progress towards the priority outcomes, some of which will be relatively easy to track. Projects will be advised on which Key Performance Indicators to include in their project application. Other aspects of the programme rely on more qualitative data that will need to be collected at key stages by projects or the LAG to measure progress against a baseline (links, service and transport improvements).

The outline evaluation framework in Figure 18 will help the LAG monitor and report to the community and Scottish Government. This list of sources and methods of collecting the information is exhaustive and therefore the LAG may accept other eligible and suitable forms of evidence also.

Figure 18 Monitoring and Reporting information Outcomes - Indicators Sources/ methods

- No of volunteers - LAG records/ monitoring

- Diversity/ age of volunteers - Participant data forms - Increased - No. of beneficiaries who have gained - Attendance registers local community new skills capacity - No. of activities/ best practices - Feedback/Evaluation forms transferred - Promotional material - Increased satisfaction among service - Evaluation forms users - Quality control measures - Improved accessibility to services and benchmarking - Local surveys and - No. of new facilities or services consultations with users - No. of new or Improved transport - Photographs - Improved solutions services and - No. received training/ took part in facilities - Physical evidence information sessions - No. of jobs created - Brochures, websites - Building warrants and - No. of jobs safeguarded Completion certificates

- No. of businesses, social or community - Attendance records enterprises supported/created

49 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

- Job descriptions

- Users logbooks - Visitor surveys (Visit - Increase in visitor numbers Scotland) - Project/ company specific - Increase in visitor spend data - Increased visitor economy - No of tourism jobs supported/ created - User logbooks

- Job descriptions - Photographs - Project/ company specific - Greater sales of local products data - Increased local product / - Wider range of produce - Physical evidence, service - New business start-ups - Photographs - Sales Info - More community-led renewable - LAG records/ monitoring energy projects - No. of new/Improved energy efficiency - Photographs measures in place - Improved - No. of community renewable energy - Physical evidence energy efficiency projects and more - No. received training/ took part in community - Brochures, websites information sessions renewable energy - Job descriptions opportunities - LAG records/ monitoring - Participant data forms - Attendance registers - Feedback/Evaluation forms

- Area of land in crofting use - Local crofting committees - No. of new entrants to crofting - LAG records/ monitoring - Project/ company specific - No new crofting activity created data - No. of businesses/groups supported to - Job descriptions - Increase in diversify crofting activity - Increased and/or new local products - Photographs

- No. of new facilities or services - Promotional material - No. of new products developed - Sales Info - No. received training/ took part in

information sessions - No. of fishery related initiatives - LAG records/ monitoring - - Project/ company specific Development of - No. of jobs supported/ created fishing data - No. of businesses/groups supported to communities - Physical evidence diversify

50 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

- No fishing/ marine communities - Project/ company specific supported data

- Increased and/or new local products - User logbooks

- No. of new facilities or services - Job descriptions

- No. of new products developed - Photographs - No. received training/ took part in - Sales info information sessions - No. of networking events - LAG records/ monitoring

- No. of joint venture projects - Evaluation forms - Increased networking and partnership - - websites Increased working links and partnerships - No. of visits and exchanges undertaken - Attendance records

- No. of new groups established - Job descriptions

- Residents identifying improved - Local surveys and accessibility to services, consultations with users employment and education

- Reduction in geographical isolation - Photographs - Improved local transport - Increased opportunities for older and - Physical evidence younger people - User information and

- No. of businesses, social or community - Surveys. Evaluation forms, enterprises supported/created

- No. received training/ took part in - Attendance records at - Employment information sessions workshops and events Opportunities - Details of postholder, job - No. of jobs created Created description - No. of jobs safeguarded - No. of Gaelic projects undertaken - Decrease in local unemployment - No. of new actions or events - LAG records/ monitoring

- No. of Gaelic projects undertaken - Evaluation forms - No. received training/ took part in - New - websites information sessions Knowledge and skills gained or - No. of new products developed - Attendance records transferred - Increased networking and partnership - Job descriptions working - No. received training/ took part in - Photographs information sessions

51 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

- Project/ company specific - No. of jobs created data - More - No. of jobs safeguarded - GROS data sustainable Communities - New business start-ups - Photographs - Increase in % of working age

Picture: Burnet Moth picture evidence from the Outer Hebrides Biodiversity Project funded under the LEADER 2007-2013 Programme

Allocation Apportionment

The Scottish Government have stipulated that LAGs require apportioning their local LEADER and EMFF funding allocations as follows:

 LEADER:  Small Rural Business Support – minimum 10% spend  Crofting and Farm Diversification – minimum 10% spend  Co-operation Projects (inter-territorial and Trans-national) - minimum 10% spend  LDS animation/running costs – max 25% (discussed in greater detail within the business plan)  Other Projects: Remaining funding is to be committed to projects that fit the LDS

 EMFF:  Projects - 100% of local funding for Marine and Fisheries Projects  Animation - LEADER, as local lead fund, supports the EMFF administration

Small Rural Business Support The Scottish Government announced that the Small Rural Business Scheme will be operated through the LEADER Local Action Groups (LAGs) and consequently all related projects will require to reflect the objectives of the Outer Hebrides LDS and show community benefits. LAGs have also been informed that they require to commit at least 10% of their allocated local LEADER funding to this action.

52 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

Locally businesses receive support from a variety of agencies including Business Gateway, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and private organisations. Following consultation with these agencies it was identified that there some gaps which could be supported through LEADER. This includes support for business mentoring including governance and financial planning, supporting business diversification and the option of offering Market Test grants to allow small innovative ideas to be initially piloted before starting up as a full-time career.

Furthermore it has been identified that new enterprises and businesses have issues with accessing support services to develop business plans, growth plans, marketing plans, options appraisal, feasibility study, etc. and the LAG could investigate methods to provide support for this through a dedicated scheme or on a project by project basis. This would not only benefit the businesses and groups but also provide the LAG with reassurance that the enterprises are fully investigating the viability of their projects. This would also fit with the LEADER ethos of transferring and sharing knowledge and providing a platform for innovative ideas to be developed.

The LAG would also consider how LEADER could support the development of existing businesses to grow and diversify to assist with their sustainability. A gap in this support has been identified as Highlands and Islands Enterprise are selective and focussed towards transformational growth projects of which there are very few in the Outer Hebrides and Business Gateway also have limited opportunity to support small to medium sized enterprises also. This would allow small businesses with growth aspirations to develop and action their plans.

There could also be support for individuals, who wish to diversify from or to marine related enterprises including expanding into marine tourism activities including angling to make them more sustainable.

Crofting and Farm Diversification Whilst there are a number of farms in the Outer Hebrides the majority of the sector comprises of crofts. A crofter who occupies and works a small landholding, normally not any larger than 5 hectares, is known as a croft and is usually the tenant of the croft. Most pay rent to a landlord; however some are owner-occupiers of their crofts.

LEADER funding will be able to support crofters to diversify into other areas and this could include adding an additional element to their portfolio, taking part in events and networking opportunities or working with others to develop new products and services or innovative working practices. Similar to the Business Support funding projects will be supported in line with the LDS and should benefit not only the individual but the larger community.

53 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

As previously mentioned Agricultural tourism (or Agri-tourism) is a relatively new sector that the LAG can explore to promote and encourage businesses and crofters/farmers to diversify. This could include a variety of projects and experiences from farm shops, to encouraging visitors to stay on a farm/croft, or selling produce, offering farm tours or developing new paths and trails through crofting land.

Co-operation Projects The Outer Hebrides LEADER LAG took part in a number of co-operation projects during the 2007-2013 Programme and therefore gained invaluable experience in doing so. Consequently they intend to take part in an increased number of projects with partners within Scotland (inter-territorial) or further afield in the rest of UK, Europe or the world (trans-national) as long as they operate LEADER programmes or as per the LEADER ethos as regulations allow.

Co-operation projects will relate to the LDS priorities and it is likely that these will not only involve projects with LAGs who cover neighbouring islands but also those who have similar interests. The Scottish Government has committed to provide Preparatory Costs to LAGs to support the preparation of these projects to allow them to develop into innovative and high quality projects.

EMFF Community Led Local Development There may also be opportunities to link with prospective EMFF projects if applicants come forward to diversify their portfolios or introduce new ideas to merge fisheries and land based projects together, examples could include making products on-land from produce deriving from the sea. This will support the Community Led Local Development aspect of the 2014-2020 EMFF Programme. From a fisheries and aquaculture perspective strategic representative bodies have indicated that member businesses are keen to have a role as partners or supporters of local groups and projects even if not directly accessing LEADER or EMFF funding.

As the LAG and FLAG will be constantly engaging with each other they will be able to support and develop actions which can run concurrently with each other to achieve and realise some of the objectives of the LDS to benefit the Outer Hebrides.

Links with other Strategies and Agendas

This section sets out the key local, regional and national strategies that the Outer Hebrides LEADER LDS should complement or align with when prioritising interventions (that is, works

54 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

toward similar objectives and outcomes as other strategies) and also outlines what the key linkages are likely to be. When complementarities were considered it is understood as enabling LEADER and EMFF projects to add value to or increasing the outputs and outcomes delivered by other strategies and funding programmes. Alignment will include delivering outputs that positively impact and support other strategies.

For instance the strategy will align with the aims of the Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership’s (OHCPP) Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) as its priorities and outcomes are comparable. Figure 9 shows this in more details however this is not an exhaustive list. On the other hand the priorities could complement those projects supported under the European Social Fund as training opportunities supported under that fund could complement with a new service being supported by LEADER. This form of partnership working will be actively encouraged and sought by the LAG through liaising with different groups including the OHCPP, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government and the Highlands and Islands European Partnership.

Figure 18: Complementarities and alignment Strategy Align Complement Key links ESF ● Increased or additional skills ERDF ● More or better facilities or increased capacity. EAFRD ● Enhanced rural communities Lottery Funding ● Can match most funds, community support and regeneration OHCPP SOA ● More jobs; stronger growth Scottish Governments National ● ● Supports renewable and energy Economic Strategy efficiency, supports businesses and communities, more facilities and services Community Energy Scotland ● Supports renewable and energy efficient measures OHCPP’s Economic ● More vibrant local communities Regeneration Strategy: 2014- 2020 Marine Scotland Plan ● Enhanced fishing communities Third Sector Interface ● More viable local organisations and improved services to disadvantaged people Outer Hebrides Tourism 2020 ● More visitors and more viable tourism businesses

The difference between complementary activity and duplication in an area needs to be clear. This LEADER strategy sets out where, and in what ways, it can contribute to achieving

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objectives working with and alongside other strategies. LEADER will complement the activities of the OHCPP as some of its identified priorities are similar and therefore assisting to deliver objectives. However the LAG will not be led by the SOA priorities. It will also complement with the other EU programmes through not duplicating effort but being available to support other projects or aspects which can add value to beneficiaries.

Alignment takes place with the Scottish Government national Outcomes and that of EAFRD’s as it will support and deliver the required objectives. Furthermore the EMFF will also align with Marine Scotland’s Plan to support the delivery of sustainable fisheries communities. Both will promote the community led local development aspects of both programmes and these are principles that are not present in other European funds.

As previously mentioned some communities generate income, or will soon, from various sources including renewable energy generation or selling community services. Whilst this benefits the surrounding communities through supporting local projects and will also be a source of match funding for the LEADER funding, it also results in the non-income generating communities experiencing less development and available funding. This is known as the ‘cash-rich’ and ‘cash-poor’ communities and the LAG will investigate measures which can be actioned to support the ‘cash-poor’ communities, this may include operating a dedicated funding scheme.

Strategic links

The following discusses how the LDS will align and complement with other funds and strategies in more detail:

The 2014-20 funding agenda (European Structural and Investment Funds) LEADER programmes in the 2014-20 programming period will be further integrated into both the policy objectives and delivery mechanisms than previously. So a broad understanding of context is a useful starting point in understanding what can be achieved for LEADER in the Outer Hebrides and what the main drivers are likely to be. The Scottish Government intend to deliver an integrated EU funding programme that meets the guidelines set out by the European Commission. This includes:

 Harmonising rules for cohesion policy;  Greater flexibility in setting up programmes within member states;  Reporting, management and audit arrangements proportionate to the level of support;  Clearer and more straightforward rules on eligibility;  More efficient delivery and lighter reporting;  Reducing the administrative burden on beneficiaries; and

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 A move towards using agreed outputs and results as the basis for payment.

The Scottish Government are also responsible for developing the programme collectively known as the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) and these include: . the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); . European Social Fund (ESF); . Rural communities aspects of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) which includes the LEADER Programme; and . Communities’ aspects of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

The Scottish Government will outline how these four EU Funds will be used in the Scottish chapter of the UK Partnership Agreement which is submitted by the UK government to the European Commission. The ESIF must demonstrate its alignment with Europe 2020 and the Scottish Governments Economic Strategy (GES) and the National Performance Framework.

Scottish Governments National Outcomes and Government Economic Strategy The Scottish Government strive to make ‘a Scotland that is Wealthier and Fairer, Smarter, Healthier, Safer and Stronger and Greener’. These are achieved through a National Performance Framework which underpins delivery of the Scottish Government's agenda which supports the outcomes-based approach to performance. Its purpose is “to focus government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth”. This is driven through five strategic objectives and sixteen national outcomes which the Outer Hebrides 2014-2020 LEADER and EMFF LDS will support. This includes, naming only a few, developing employment opportunities, developing sustainable, strong and resilient communities, and also supporting young and older people.

The Government Economic Strategy (GES) sets out a clear priority to accelerating economic recovery, with measures to tackle unemployment and promote employability. There are six Strategic Priorities that will drive sustainable economic growth and develop a more resilient and adaptable economy.  Supportive Business Environment;  Transition to a Low Carbon Economy;  Learning, Skills and Well-being;  Infrastructure Development and Place;  Effective Government; and  Equity.

The future delivery of projects and programmes supported by ESIF are changing however LEADER must complement these strategies and help achieve the outcomes. In turn LEADER

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will build an understanding with ESF and ERDF programme delivery agents to integrate services and effectively work collaboratively with the other funds within this landscape.

Community Trusts and Ownership The Outer Hebrides has the highest proportion of community owned land in Scotland and therefore Community Land Trusts are actively seeking support to develop their communities. Community Land Scotland were members of the LEADER 2007-2013 LAG and they will be invited to re-apply to become members of 2014-2020 LAG as LEADER is based on community-led developments and therefore by supporting these groups the LAG will be assisting to develop sustainable communities.

There are also a number of Community companies being established in the islands to develop their areas and the LAG could support some of the sustainable activities that they may be developing.

Community Empowerment and Renewal Bill The Community Empowerment and Renewal Scotland Bill is central to public sector reform and its main aims are to strengthen community participation; unlock enterprising community development; and to renew our communities.

The Community Empowerment Bill, with its emphasis on Community Planning Partnerships, will have significant impacts on the community sector and therefore the LAG will be able to support community groups to achieve their objectives. This can include developing community capacity to undertake community ownership by providing support to acquire public assets or community land ownership. Other opportunities include creation of community food growing areas such as allotments. This could also be exploited through crofting diversification and the small rural business support actions. The Bill will emphasise the Community Planning Partnerships’ role in ensuring that communities are engaged in these processes.

Our Islands Our Future Scotland’s three Islands Councils (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Orkneys Islands Council and Shetlands Council) have laid out their vision for a stronger future following the Independence Referendum of 2014. The Island local authorities are calling for a commitment that the needs and status of island areas are clearly recognised in a new era for Scotland.

The Islands are working closely together to identify shared opportunities and challenges and have produced a joint mission statement setting out their intention to engage and negotiate with political leaders and decision makers. The three Islands Councils wish to see the special position and needs of the UK’s three largest island groups to be fully taken into

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account in the constitutional arrangements for Scotland. This has the support of Scottish and UK Governments through “Empowering Scotland’s Islands Communities” and “A Framework for the Islands" respectively”. Projects may be supported which link the three island archipelago’s together.

Scotland’s LEADER Programme LEADER funding is a proportion of the overall Scottish Rural Development Programme budget and is set at a minimum of 5% of the total. LEADER has been shown to be an effective way to support rural development and there is a strong lobby for strengthening its role further.

Since 1991, LEADER has evolved and matured but has always provided a community-driven mechanism that delivers integrated funding for local projects. The Outer Hebrides LEADER programme 2007- 2013 had a strategy developed through public consultation that also aligned with the objectives of public bodies including Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. The overall strategic aim of the previous Outer Hebrides LEADER Programme was to revitalise communities by addressing:

 geographical handicap, remoteness and peripherality (ICT initiatives);  economic fragility and job creation;  population decline, out-migration of young people and women;  inadequate community infrastructure and facilities;  Gaelic language and culture;  a sustainable natural environment; and  Social inclusion

It also supported community projects through SRDP measures.

The 2014-20 LEADER Programme will build on experience and a solid record of delivery. The Local Development Strategy (LDS) will be an evolution of the previous strategic direction through effectively engaging communities and translating the results into the new Local Development Strategy.

Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership: Single Outcome Agreement (2013 to 2023) The Local Development Strategy will align with the Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership’s Economic Regeneration Strategy to 2020 document. They recognise that there is an opportunity to revitalise the islands and to transform the Outer Hebrides into a net contributor to the national economy, while simultaneously rebuilding confidence in communities and the distinctive Gaelic culture and heritage.

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The Economic Regeneration Strategy to 2020 is a strategy for action and provides a shared vision for the regeneration of the Outer Hebrides, based on seven inter-related high-level aspirations to be achieved by 2020 including population stability, economic growth, increased productivity, increased labour market participation, solidarity in reduction of child and fuel poverty, economic cohesion with the rest of Scotland and finally leading on renewable energy. The strategy provides a long-term regeneration vision for the Outer Hebrides, which is supported by a detailed Action Plan and its main purpose is to:

“focus the policy agenda on creating a successful Outer Hebrides that unlocks the potential in our economic assets in order to provide new opportunities through sustainable economic growth.”

This would allow LEADER projects to also indirectly support its purpose. The unique challenges being addressed by Economic Regeneration Strategy to 2020 are also recognised in the Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework, with Section 177 of the Framework relating directly to the Outer Hebrides.

The Outer Hebrides SOA has been developed by the Community Planning Partnership - recognising the key role other organisations will play through working in partnership to deliver local outcomes and contribute to the Scottish Government’s National Outcomes. Similar to other programmes and funds the LEADER and EMFF strategy compliments some of the objectives set within the SOA to supporting groups and individuals to develop actions that lead to and add value to community-led local development.

Marine Scotland Strategic Plan This vision document, 'Making the Most of Scotland's Seas', sets out the key points of success for Marine Scotland. It has direct responsibility to ensure sustainable economic growth. This means:  Growing the overall economic value of the marine environment in a sustainable way;  Making a big contribution to Scotland's renewable energy targets;  Growing the value of the aquaculture sector, within Scotland's marine 'carrying capacity';  Ensuring a viable and sustainable fishing industry;  Recognising the needs of, and opportunities presented by, Scotland's sea ports;  Providing the framework within which marine-based recreational activities like wildlife tourism and angling can flourish;  Promoting thriving and safe coastal communities.  Maintaining or improving the environmental quality and diversity of Scotland's seas through:  Introducing new measures to conserve important marine sites and species;

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 Ensuring that marine planning and licensing take account of environmental capacity and sensitive locations;  Working to achieve good environmental status and to meet our other objectives and commitments under the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Natura 2000.  Protecting and enhancing our most important marine heritage assets in such a way that they can be valued, understood and enjoyed.  Ensuring marine planning recognises and supports other activity, such as shipping, and oil and gas, for which we do not have direct responsibility.

Marine Scotland is committed to collaborating with others to achieve their objectives.

Creative and Cultural Industries Strategy This three year creative and cultural industries strategy aims to build on this fundamental character of the Outer Hebrides. It has been developed by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (the Comhairle), Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Skills Development Scotland (SDS). The Vision is for the Outer Hebrides to become a nationally recognised area for creative industries. This will mean significantly increasing the economic and social contribution from the creative and cultural heritage, people, content, product and services.

The cultural and creative economy is built on the strengths of a rich historical heritage (with 465 scheduled historic monuments), a tradition of stories and song, and a unique identity based on Gaelic Language and Culture including Harris Tweed. The benefits from supporting the creative and cultural industries go beyond economic impact. Makers, writers, artists and musicians and the cultural activities they carry out, can play an important role in generating community and social wellbeing. Increasing access to, and participation in, cultural and creative activities can help address key priorities in areas such as education and health. As the creative and cultural sector has been identified as one of the objectives the LAG will be able to support this strategy by facilitating actions to develop and sustain the sector.

Outer Hebrides Third Sector Co-Cheangal Innse Gall (C-CIG) is the Outer Hebrides Third Sector Interface, a partnership of five local organisations formed in response to changes in government policy relating to the support of the volunteering, social enterprise and voluntary sectors. They are part of Voluntary Action Scotland.

Their vision is of an Outer Hebrides where all citizens and organisations are empowered and enabled to grow a strong and vibrant community. Their mission is to empower and enable communities by developing and supporting volunteering, voluntary organisations and social enterprise and building the third sectors reputation and relationships with partners.

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Their strategic outcomes are:  People in the Outer Hebrides are aware of the positive role of volunteers in the islands and find it easy and rewarding to participate themselves.  Community/ voluntary organisations and social enterprises in the Outer Hebrides are empowered and enabled to grow and sustain their enterprises.  Community and voluntary organisations in the Outer Hebrides have access to services enabling them to be stronger and more sustainable

The work of the C-CIG outlined directly supports the OHCPP’s SOA vision of a prosperous, well-educated and healthy community enjoying a good quality of life and fully realising the benefits of the natural environment and cultural traditions. Volunteers, social enterprise and voluntary organisations (Third Sector) provide many services to elderly, young people, children, vulnerable people, people with disabilities and carers in the Outer Hebrides. They are not only critical to the provision of many services in the Outer Hebrides, but the third sector has been proven to benefit both the mental and physical wellbeing of the volunteer. Volunteering can also be a valuable step into employment offering the volunteer the opportunity to gain new experiences, learn new skills and assisting the volunteer into further education or employment.

Tourism Outer Hebrides 2020 The Tourism Outer Hebrides 2020 strategy was formulated by the Outer Hebrides Tourism 2020 Leadership Group (OHT2020LG) – formerly known as the Outer Hebrides Area Tourism Partnership - to develop the local economic prosperity of the area whilst also supporting the National Tourism 2020 strategy. The strategy aims to increase tourism in the Outer Hebrides from £53m to £64-67m by 2020 by increase transport capacity/integration, lengthen the season, offer additional authentic experiences and appeal to new markets. As the aims of this strategy fit well with the identified priorities of the 2014-2020 LEADER and EMFF Local Development Strategy the LAG will be able support projects that both align with the LAGs LDS but also the Tourism Outer Hebrides 2020 strategy (TOH2020).

The TOH2020 strategy aims to developing actions which include culture and heritage, nature and activities, marine tourism, events, transport and food and drink and these are all areas that the LAG can develop projects which support these objectives.

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5. European Maritime and Fisheries Fund

Local Development Strategies (LDS) in EMFF The regulation specifies that Local Development Strategies shall:  Maximise the participation of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in the sustainable development of coastal and inland fisheries areas  Ensure that local communities fully exploit and benefit from the opportunities offered by maritime and coastal development

Funding will be used to support delivery of measures specified in Local Development Plans. The EMFF regulation highlights in particular the following measures (EU Regulation 508/2013, Article 65):

 Adding value, creating jobs, and promoting innovation at all stages of the fisheries and aquaculture supply chain;  Supporting diversification inside or outside commercial fisheries, lifelong learning and job creation in fisheries areas;  Enhancing and capitalising on the environmental assets of the fisheries areas including operations to mitigate climate change;  Promoting social wellbeing and cultural heritage in fisheries areas including fisheries, aquaculture and maritime cultural heritage to strengthen the role of fisheries communities in local development;  Governance of local fisheries resources and maritime activities.

An overall description of the FLAG area is contained within Chapters 1 and 2, and is summarised below to highlight areas relevant to the local EMFF programme:

 Population and migration – compared to Scotland as a whole the Outer Hebrides is characterised by a relatively small younger population and a relatively high older population. Also with natural population levels decreasing and negligible net in- migration the overall population is decreasing, projected to fall by 14% from a current 27,684 in 2011.

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 Economy – The Outer Hebrides Gross Value Added (GVA) declined by 2% between 2007 and 2011 whereas the Highlands and Islands GVA grew by 8% in the same period, the economic downturn hitting small businesses particularly.

The FLAG area covered by the community led local development strategy is the islands comprising the Outer Hebrides, defined by the local authority boundary for Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. With a population of 27,684 the area meets the criteria outlined in Article 33 of the Common Provisions Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 whereby the area defined shall be not less than 10,000 and not more than 150,000 inhabitants.

Description of Fisheries/Aquaculture Area From the 2011 Census, employment in the fisheries sector in the Outer Hebrides was approximately 5% of the working population. However this included local concentrations including South Uist, North Uist and Harris at 11% demonstrating the continued importance of inshore fisheries and aquaculture to fisheries communities.

Figure 19: Employment in the fisheries/aquaculture sector 2012 2009 2001

Sea Fisheries Employment 371 477 652

Aquaculture Employment 270 266 383 Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2012, 2009, 2001 Scottish Fish Farms/Shellfish Farms Production Survey 2012, 2009, 2001

The change in fleet composition is reflected in the employment numbers in the sea fisheries sector with individuals employed in sea fisheries falling by 43% in the last eleven years.

The aquaculture sector, from a period of rapid expansion of small operators in the mid- eighties, is now exhibiting a period of consolidation with a reduced number of operators utilising larger sites and maintaining current employment levels.

Figure 20: Vessel numbers 2012, 2009, 2001 2012 2009 2001 Outer Outer Outer Hebrides Scotland Hebrides Scotland Hebrides Scotland Under 10m 169 1,448 203 1,483 263 1,645 10m – 15m 24 223 30 257 43 284 Over 15m 22 475 25 410 26 666 Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2012, 2009, 2001

The characteristics of the Outer Hebrides clearly show the significant importance of a smaller class of vessel to the inshore fleet around the Outer Hebrides. Whilst pelagic and white fish fisheries used to be of importance within inshore waters, migratory patterns for

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pelagic species and restrictive catch composition rules coupled with reduced quota allocations for white fish, has now resulted in minimal effort being directed at those fisheries. In addition following government funded decommissioning schemes there has been a gradual downsizing of the fleet. The majority of the locally based fleet is now less than 10 metres in length.

Figure 21: Species, quantity and value of fish landings to the Outer Hebrides 2013 2012 2011 Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value (£000) (tonnes) (£000) (tonnes) (£000) (tonnes) Demersal 129 141 133 161 110 119 Pelagic 138 131 0 0 21 14 Shellfish Edible Crab 801 924 725 827 775 856 Lobster 88 905 120 1,239 130 1,408 Nephrops 1,554 6,058 1,650 6,911 1,378 5,400 Scallops 542 1,013 427 799 402 811 Velvet Crab 237 567 286 707 268 715 Other 31 61 33 121 25 123 Shellfish Total 3,520 9,800 3,374 10,765 3,109 9,446

The Outer Hebrides are located in the midst of some of the richest fisheries grounds in Europe. In the Minches the main species targeted are Nephrops, scallops, crab and lobster, whilst inshore waters to the west and north provide the main grounds for lobster, brown crab and crawfish. Most white fish and pelagic species caught to the west of the Hebrides and are not landed into the area.

Shellfish account for virtually all landings by value into Outer Hebrides ports and the majority are landed by boats that are owned and crewed by local residents. In some places such as Barra and Grimsay over 10% of the population is involved in fish catching activities.

Figure 22: Aquaculture production 2013 2012 2011 Finfish (tonnes) 31,621 28,317 37,343 (estimated) Shellfish (tonnes) 594 669 1,027

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Onshore Infrastructure

Onshore shellfish processing is concentrated in three strategic areas in the islands – Stornoway (Macduff Shellfish), Grimsay (Kallin Shellfish) and Barra (Barratlantic) with over 100 employees. There is also a network of live storage facilities supporting a number of live shellfish buyers supplying overseas markets. In the aquaculture sector ‘The Scottish Salmon Company’ operates a processing plant in Stornoway and ‘Loch Duart’ has a smoking operation at Lochcarnan in the Uists. Recent investment has seen ‘Loch Fyne Oysters’ take over an existing mussel producer in the islands.

In addition to the main port of Stornoway operated by Stornoway Port Authority, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar manage 42 harbours and landing sites across the islands. The local authority also operates a ‘fuel at fishery piers service’ at 15 sites and two ice plants which support both the catching and processing sectors.

Challenges In addition to the general challenges previously identified in the area above such as economic prosperity and structure, population sparsity, population decline, ageing population and youth out-migration, consultation with stakeholders has identified additional specific area challenges.

From the high level Stakeholder Group and public consultations, along with industry specific consultations with the existing FLAG, the Outer Hebrides Inshore Fisheries Group, the Western Isles Fishermen’s Association, Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation and Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers a number of issues and challenges facing fishing communities - including aquaculture – were identified and these are listed below:  Fishing effort concentration  Introduction of landings obligation  Ageing participants/attraction of young people to sector  New fisheries development  Accessing existing and new markets – local, national, international  High operating cost base, transport costs and distance to market  Lack of alternative marine based business opportunities  Demonstrating fishing sustainability  Marine spatial constraints  Extent of ability to influence marine development decision making in local area

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Overall Outer Hebrides EMFF 2014-2020 Programme Objectives

To address the challenges identified above and develop opportunities for fisheries areas the following objectives are identified from EU Regulation 508/2013:

 Increase fisheries area employment and competitiveness by promoting fisheries sustainability and diversification of fishing effort (Article 65 1a, 1b)  Develop alternative fisheries area employment through business diversification (Article 65 1b)  Promote and market demand for local fisheries products (Article 65 1a)  Increase onshore added value activity utilising locally caught product (Article 65 1a)  Improve networking, training and development of best practice (Article 65 1e)  Increase younger industry participant career progression and succession (Article 65 1a)

Measures to Address Overall Objectives From the meetings and consultations noted, measures were identified, which with EMFF support, are aimed at addressing overall area objectives:

 Stock assessment and effort data collection to support sustainable fisheries management; development of sustainable fisheries management plan; good practice/information dissemination  Development of alternative non-quota fisheries and markets  Support for alternative fisheries community business opportunities and infrastructure development e.g. tourism, renewables  Support for onshore added value and supply chain development, including logistics  Promotion of fisheries accreditation  Development programme to build small fisheries communities capacity to drive own change and adopt best practice/successful training methods

FLAG Composition and Membership

To address the Common Provisions Regulation proposed membership of the FLAG will encompass both fisheries and aquaculture sectors including supply chain and retail representation. Detail of the proposed membership is outlined below:

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Figure 23: Proposed FLAG Membership Public/Private & no. of Sector Organisation members

Local Authority Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Public 1 Local Development Highlands and Islands Agency/ Enterprise Enterprise Public 1

Natural Heritage/ Nature Scottish Natural Heritage Public 1 Sea Fisheries - Catching Western Isles Fisherman’s Sector Association Private 1 Outer Hebrides Inshore Sea Fisheries - Strategic Fisheries Group Public 1 Sea Fisheries - Local private sector Processing organisations Private 2 Scottish Salmon Producers Aquaculture - Strategic Organisation Private 1 Aquaculture - Growing Local private sector and Processing organisation Private 1 Aquaculture - Local private sector Consultancy organisation Private 1 Association of Scottish Shellfish - Strategic Shellfish Growers Private 1 Shellfish - Growing and Local private sector Processing organisation Private 1

Food Seafood Scotland Public 1 LAG project to develop Food private sector interest group Private 1 Local private sector Food - Retail organisation Private 1 Local private sector Food - Restaurant organisation Private 1 Outer Hebrides Tourism Tourism Industry Association Private 2

Education & Training UHI/ Lews College Public 1

FLAG Governance The proposed FLAG governance procedures are contained in the Business Plan. As far as possible and applicable there will be a common approach and methodology to both FLAG and LAG projects but with a separated decision making process. With a separate LEADER IT system, FLAG staff will develop a manual system which mirrors the information requirements of the LEADER programme.

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Project application, appraisal, assessment, monitoring and evaluation procedures are detailed in the Business Plan with a common approach to both LAG and FLAG. Similarly promotion, animation and communication aspects of EMFF will be developed separately from LEADER but using similar methodology. Staffing proposals for the EMFF element of the strategy are contained in the Business Plan, within the Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF Staffing Structure.

FLAGs Networking and Co-operation Building on long standing historic maritime and cultural links between the islands and the mainland the possibility of joint and co-operative projects with FLAGs in the Highland area (linking Lewis with the Ullapool and Wester Ross area, Harris and North Uist with Skye and Kyle of Lochalsh areas) and Argyll and Bute area (linking South Uist, Eriskay and Barra with the Tiree, Coll and Oban areas) will be explored and promoted.

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6. Turning Objectives into Practical Actions

Implementing the Strategy

The LAG and FLAG will keep the priority outcomes at the forefront of decision making. The LAG and FLAG know what changes are required to support the transition of the rural economy to one that is more sustainable and improves the environment for people to live and work.

This LDS is not simply about how LEADER or EMFF funding will be allocated; we recognise that the LAG and FLAG must be able to demonstrate:

 how they will implement the strategy using a variety of different funds and other financing channels. (e.g. partners, local, national public/private funds as well as EU funds);  the mechanisms that will allow LAGs to collaborate with third parties (e.g. Community Planning Partnerships) to maximise opportunities for shared priorities;  an action plan for implementation – with clear indicators for monitoring progress against objectives;  Specific objectives for actions that address inequalities.

Action Plan for Implementation

The LAG is considering using a variety of methods to deliver the LDS. These include:  Direct applications to the LAG as happened in the previous 2007-13 programme  Identifying strategically important activities which the LAG wish to develop and inviting project proposals using an ‘open call’ system  The LAG reserves the right to directly commission work should it feel the need to do so. Any commissioned work would be subject to public sector procurement rules.

The following are the key milestones that the LAG will encounter:

Figure 25: Key Milestones DATE Milestone JAN-MARCH 2015 Familiarisation with systems, including IT, undertake launch events 1 APRIL - JUNE 2015 Programme prepares, promotes and opens for applications

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APRIL 2017 Mid-term Evaluation of the Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF Programmes DECEMBER 2019 All funding committed DECEMBER 2020 All project claims Paid MARCH 2021 Final claims to the Paying Agency Annual Occurrence LAG and FLAG Networking event

As referred to in Chapter 4, and additionally in the Business Plan, the LAG will monitor progress against the priorities through monitoring and requesting various sources of evidence. This will assist not only inform the LAG where the funding has been committed but also which priorities require further support.

Animation of the local area is a key component of the LEADER approach. The LAG is the main driver with regards to facilitating community animation and will use the following approaches to stimulate communities to move from talk into action:

 The LDS provides the framework to facilitate the delivery of projects initiated by the community which will allow grassroots projects to come forward.  The LAG Co-ordinator’s activity will contribute to the animation process linking into local networks, promoting the programme, working with applicants and general LDS facilitation activities  LAG members may commission projects to address particular issues within the area, support networking activities, events, study tours and so on as required.  Sectoral animation will enable project officer support to build, develop and initiate strategic projects that required intensive support within a particular sector.  Geographical animation may be enabled by a local community receiving funding to employ a local development officer to undertake activities that have been identified by communities as local priorities.  Capacity building linked to the development of community organisations and social enterprises and enabling training workshops, mentoring and study visits will take place that will allow groups to grow and to take forward projects within their own area.  Co-operation and networking projects can transfer animation from one community to another through a shared interest.

Following the compilation of the Youth Strategy and consultations the LAG will employ new and innovative methods of engaging young people in the work of the LAG through setting up a Youth LAG, engaging with young people in school and having more networking opportunities with the group.

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Setting up a Youth LAG where issues related to Young Peoples’ needs and priorities can be discussed would be an original concept for the Outer Hebrides LAG. The LAG may agree that the Youth LAG, which would have a maximum of 10 members, would either have an input in appraising project funding applications, or they could be tasked with developing a project(s) that would benefit the target group.

This would provide the young people with the opportunity to be involved in developing projects and/or seeing first-hand how the decision-making process is carried out. To comply with regulations the main LAG may be required to corroborate the Youth LAGs decisions to ensure complementarity with the LDS. A representative of this Youth LAG could also be a member of the full LAG. This will not only provide the young people with project management and social skills that will be beneficial for their future careers, it will also increase their interest in economic and community development in the Outer Hebrides.

Collaboration with Third Parties and Networking

Following improved programme guidance being developed on how to effectively collaborate and administer Co-operation projects both inter-territorially within Scotland and also trans-nationally with the rest of the UK, Europe and beyond, the LAG will aim to increase their participation in these exchanges. Innovative and useful projects will be participated in that will not only develop the LAGs knowledge but also communities and other bodies understanding of how projects operate in other areas and how effective collaboration will result in the use of new practices and know-how.

Linkages already formed during the 2007-2013 Programme may be built upon and this includes the visit from the Aland Islands LAG where useful programme knowledge was exchanged in order to prepare for future cooperation. LAG visits to other LAG areas may also be beneficial to broaden knowledge transfer and networking.

Co-operation will also be encouraged between local projects within the Outer Hebrides, Scotland and beyond to assist with the development of effective local networks whilst learning new practices, techniques and developing high quality projects.

Within the confines of the EAFRD regulations the LAG will also look to work collaboratively with other certain match funders to deliver unique funding streams and opportunities to communities and groups to allow them to access funding which will generate specific outputs that align with the Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF Local Development Strategy. This will assist in developing capacity within the Outer Hebrides in areas/sectors which may need further development and support.

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The LAG will also develop and ensure that community engagement activities and events are held to support networking through the islands and assist in developing community capacity, alleviating social exclusion and access to information due to their geographical location or remoteness. Developing community capacity will be a feature of the activities undertaken by the Outer Hebrides 2014-2020 Local Action Group to ensure sustainable rural communities continue and are developed.

Using Different Funds with LEADER

Where feasible and relevant the LAG will utilise Structural Funds to help deliver strategic objectives. The Outer Hebrides LAG will work with the Outer Hebrides CPP and the Local Authority to consider how the agents delivering interventions, which meet the priorities for the ESIF programme, could work with the LAG to ensure complementarity and identify opportunities. This is particularly true where a multi-funded approach will be appropriate.

We see LEADER having a role to play in delivering the preparatory activity that might build the local capacity before ESIF deliver follow-on activity that will support growth and sustainable economic activity within the Outer Hebrides.

With limited funds available through LEADER and EMFF it is crucial that the local programmes only supports projects where these are not likely to be funded by other sources. The interventions must either support projects which will be sustainable when LEADER funding ceases; build on the investment made by European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) or should establish the foundations that allow additional funds to take forward the work begun by the Outer Hebrides LEADER or EMFF Programmes.

The Highlands and Islands differ from the rest of Scotland due to the complexity of its geographic and demographic circumstances, its limited competitiveness and low earnings/low GDP. The Highlands and Islands has been designated transition status under the Structural Funds programmes 2014-2020 including ring-fenced funding of €193 million. While the approach to governance and delivery will be one of national bodies (Lead Partners) delivering large scale national Strategic Interventions, in partnership with regional Delivery Partners, there will be separate governance and delivery arrangements for the Highlands and Islands as a transition region. A Joint Programme Monitoring Committee will oversee the management and delivery of the programmes, assisted by a Highlands and Islands Territorial Committee and two operating Committees, one for SRDP and one for Structural Funds.

LEADER will seek to complement ERDF and ESF activity wherever possible and will work with Accountable Bodies and Delivery Partners to ensure that the Strategic Interventions

73 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

have maximum impact in the islands. ERDF activity will include Business Competiveness; R&D and Innovation; ICT; Low Carbon Economy and Resource Efficiency. ESF activity will include Promoting Employment and Labour market Mobility; Investing in Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning; and Promoting Social Inclusion and combating Poverty. Further areas of complementarity and cooperation could include the transnational programmes such as HORIZON 2020 and INTERREG. It also seems likely that some strands of ESF activity will be delivered through Community Planning.

Not only will the LAG be looking to co-operate and partner organisations delivering ESIF across the Outer Hebrides but they will also be interested in how other funds can be utilised.

Intention to match with other funds In previous LEADER programmes in the Outer Hebrides a number of other funding sources were used as match funding. It is likely that these will also be present in funding packages of projects applying to the 2014-2020 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF programme. Match funding will allow the local LEADER and EMFF allocation to be spent on more actions within the Outer Hebrides. The LAG will continuously ensure that they are kept up-to-date on the differing funds available.

LEADER should have good forms of communications with the delivery agents responsible for identifying projects to deliver sustainable growth. Between 2007-13 c£336m of grant assistance will have been invested in the Highlands and Islands in a loose framework of funding streams that operate independently and which require their own administrative arrangements, rules and compliance regimes. This support secured investments in key sectors, principally:

 Energy, renewables and low carbon;  Tourism;  Business competitiveness;  The knowledge economy and research and development;  Infrastructure to support communities.

Within Highlands and Islands, the dual aim of achieving internal and external cohesion, a defining principle of the Structural Funds, has been addressed by:  Delivering projects across the region of national and international significance.  Addressing issues around fragility and community sustainability.

The LAG and FLAG will now strive to work with other funds and organisations to deliver a complementary scheme which is clearly defined and also to align with others goals. Some organisations may already be members of the LAG and FLAG and therefore those

74 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

representatives will be able to provide an overview of their organisations directions and also create opportunities for more partnership and collaborative working.

Demarcation between the different available schemes and programmes is important, not only giving the applicants a clear idea of where to seek support but to also ensure that the funding doesn’t crowd one sector and not the other. Therefore meetings and discussions will take place, and open lines of communication will be established, with Comhairle, HIE, OHCPP, Business Gateway, SRDP and other relevant colleagues to ensure that the LAG and FLAG work with these groups for the shared objective of sustainable developing the Outer Hebrides in a streamlined funding and support environment. This will also provide a forum to allow partnership working and collaborative projects to arise with the aim to allow community-led local development to flourish. Thus allowing the LAG and FLAG to lever in funding and/or support to projects which others are leading on and which meet the objectives of the programme.

How Activities will be Funded and Where the Gaps are

Over the previous programme over 30 different funding sources were used to support LEADER programmes. Our expectations will be that applicants will continue to draw on a wide range of public; charitable and private sources of investment to support their activities.

Figure 26: Funds and activities Potential Complementary LEADER Priorities Likely Interventions Funding Feasibility Studies Awards for All; HIE; CARES Community action on Pilot projects Community Energy Scotland/ renewable energy and Climate Challenge Fund; local efficiency Management Support community trusts Setup/extend Community Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CnES) Transport Enhancing rural services and Highlands and Islands Enterprise facilities (HIE);CnES Comhairle's Improve or build Visitor Community Capital Grant Fund Facilities (CCGF); The Robertson Trust; SportScotland Pathways and links Heritage Lottery Fund/Scottish Natural, archaeological, Natural Heritage/ SRDP; local Signposting creative, cultural and Gaelic community trusts heritage Creative Scotland/ Bord na Festivals and events Gaidhlig New or enhanced branding HIE

75 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

Capacity Building HIE, local community trusts SME and Community Enterprise Networks and partnerships CnES; local community trusts Product range support First Port Trade/product promotion Visit Scotland Sustainable development of Capacity building/Product EMFF; local community trusts; Crofting/Fisheries areas support CnES; HIE; SNH

Networking with LAGs in Other LAG member Scotland, UK and Europe. Conferences/exchanges organisations; HIE; Lottery;

Whilst it is evident that there are other possible funders available to applicants the LAG will also be able to support these objectives as many will not be able to fully fund the projects and therefore LEADER and EMFF will be able to provide match funding to the projects. The list above is not exhaustive and only includes some of the common match funders as discussed in more detail below.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar The LAG and FLAG will liaise closely with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the local authority, to ensure some developments and actions can be delivered together and with shared goals. This includes working towards the OHCPP’s SOA and the Scottish Governments National Plans. However the LAG will also match fund a number of shared community led projects through their differing grants schemes including the Arts Development Grants, Learning Grants and also other community capital grant scheme which is detailed below:

Community Capital Grant Fund (CCGF)- a Comhairle nan Eilean Siar funded capital grant scheme for 2013-18 and is designed to support the Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership, Economic Regeneration Strategy to 2020. The objectives of the CCGF are similar to the 2014-2020 LEADER and EMFF programmes objectives and include Creative Industries, Energy, Food and Drink, Tourism and Communities. Applicants are required to demonstrate how their proposals deliver outcomes in at least one of these economic development sectors. Therefore it is extremely likely that both the LAG and FLAG will support projects that are also reciving grnt fudning from the CCGF and therefore both contributing towards local development.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise Highlands and Islands Enterprise is an ambitious organisation with a unique remit which integrates economic and community development. We are keen to work with businesses whose development plans will lead to a measurable increase in turnover, particularly in international markets, alongside increased employment, especially for young people. We will work with these businesses to build capacity for growth both now and in years to come. Supporting communities to build dynamic, creative, sustainable places is also integral to our

76 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

purpose and particularly aligned with the place, equity and low carbon objectives of the Government Economic Strategy. HIE work to ensure that our activities have social as well as economic impact.

Big Lottery The Big Lottery Fund not only distributes 40 per cent of the money raised by the National Lottery for good causes but also offers non lottery funded schemes which support the projects designed and run buy community and voluntary organsiations who aim to improve life for their communities. They achieve this by funding a range of community projects across the UK, including those promoting health, education and the environment. Big Lottery also work with partners to run more focused, long-term investments tackling major issues, such as meeting the challenges of an ageing population. It is inevitable that the LAG will support proejcts which are also match funded by The Big Lottery and the LAG will keep in touch with the body to ensure that projects can align and information can be passed onto potential applicants.

Robertson Trust The Robertson Trust will continue to be a potential match funding option for groups in the Outer Hebridies whose projects focus on Care, Health, Education & Training, Community Arts, Community Sport, Alcohol Misuse and Criminal Justice. The LAG could support projects which compliment the Trusts actions and connections have been established to esnure future cactions and support can take place

Comunn na Gàidhlig Comunn na Gàidhlig (CnaG) is a social enterprise which provides Gaelic services throughout Scotland through being involved in many different areas including Young people and Events, Iomairtean Gàidhlig, Education, Funding to name but a few. They fund a variety of schemes including bi-lingual signage and marketing and graduate placements. Therefore as Gaelic is so prminent and important in the Outer Hebrides the LAG will ensure that they liaise with CnaG to ensure actions can be delivered in partnership. Furthermore CnaG also supports HIE’s Community Account Management (CAM) scheme which was a previously funded pilot LEADER project in the 2007-2013 programme and the LAG will continue to lisaise with the CAM officers with regards to developments and projects being undertaken in their respective area’s.

SportScotland The national ports agency SportScotland supports partners to develop a world class sporting system in Scotland by investing in and joining up the people, places, partnerships and planning that make sport happen. They work with and invest in local and national partners to develop integrated plans which will improve the quality and delivery of sport at all levels and coordinates their investment and activities through geographic and sport-specific

77 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

partnership management structures. Although LEADER will not support generic activities they may support new and innovative actions and developments which will involve this agency by targeting tourism or community and business enterprises. Maintaining contact will assist with realising some of their plans.

Community Trusts The number of income generating community trusts in the Outer Hebrides is increasing through their ability to raise profits from renewable and other forms community owned assets which are then recycled back into other community benefit projects. Examples of these include the North Harris Trust, Muaitheabhal Trust, Horshader Community Development, Storas Uibhist and Coimhearsnachd Bharraidh Agus Bhatarsaidh Ltd however there are others that are also active which the LAG will lisase and partner with. The LAG and FLAG are aware that it is highly likely they will become partners with these trust in developing community led projects and actions. Furthermore the LAG will also seek to work with communities who are not income-generating to tackle the previously mentioned issue of ‘cash rich and cash poor’ communities.

Specific Objectives for Action

The LAG and FLAG will ensure that inequalities are avoided and will also provide opportunities to widen opportunities for women, Young People and Older people as they have been identified as groups which are in particular need of support. The completed Equalities Impact Assessment, located within the Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014- 20020 Business Plan, provides more information on this.

 Young People – Part of addressing the needs of the Outer Hebrides rests on keeping young people in the area; attracting them back and improving their skills levels to take up jobs and help the economy to grow. The group will have representation on the LAG to ensure that the needs of young people are understood. When appraising applications an assessment on how the intervention addresses the needs of young people will be taken into consideration.

 Women – The strategy laces a priority on ensuring that more women engage with services and benefit from interventions; improving their skills levels to take up jobs and help the economy to grow is important. The group will have representation on the LAG to ensure that needs of women are taken into consideration. During the application assessment phase discussion on how the intervention addresses the needs of women will be included.

78 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

 Older People – As previously mentioned and shown in the LDS due to the increasing overall population age of inhabitants in the Outer Hebrides the LAG will support projects that provide a better quality of life for the group. This will include a variety of opportunities to improve their social interaction and inclusivity. The LAG may commission or undertake a piece of work to investigate how this target group may be further supported.

These three identified target groups will be invited on to the LAG to ensure that actions are supported and implemented which will benefit these groups. As with all LAG members the process of their recruitment will be standard as a call for interested parties will be published in the open market, to ensure transparency, where perspective applicants will be asked why they can represent the group and how they can act as an intermediary to adequately relay information, needs and wants, between the LAG and wider target audience.

Previous experience has shown that retention of members representing these groups can be difficult and the LAG will therefore have to ensure that the actions are meaningful, innovative and inspiring to sustain their interest and motivation. Annual reviews of the membership will ensure that the target groups are adequately represented to guarantee the flow of information is continuous. Events, networking meetings and learning journeys, liaising with supported projects and establishing new opportunities will assist to support their interest in the programme by seeing the benefits that have transpired.

79 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

7: Appendix

Appendix 1: Data zones - Maps and Population

Mid 2013 Population Estimates 2013 S01002339 Vatersay to Castlebay 610 S01002340 North Barra 635 S01002341 Eriskay to South Boisdale 515 S01002342 Loch Boisdale 590 S01002343 Loch Eynort to Iochdar 702 S01002344 South Benbecula 514 S01002345 North Benbecula 861 S01002346 Grimsay, East North Uist to Berneray 900 S01002347 West North Uist to Baleshare 723 S01002348 South Harris 905 S01002349 North Harris and Scalpay 953 S01002350 Pairc and Kinloch 939 S01002351 Uig and Bernera 689 S01002352 North Lochs 872 S01002353 Knock to Bayble 815 S01002354 Melbost to Braighe 919 S01002355 Newton to Plasterfield 837 S01002356 Central Stornoway 847 S01002357 Springfield 624 S01002358 Loch Roag 618 S01002359 Goathill 830 S01002360 North Bayhead (Stornoway) 681 S01002361 Coulegrain to Stenish 641 S01002362 Garrabost 795 S01002363 Marybank to Newvalley 1139 S01002364 North Manor Park 631 S01002365 Sheshader to Tiumpan Head 610 S01002366 Newmarket 853 S01002367 Tong to Upper Coll 1111 S01002368 Coll to Back 938 S01002369 Carloway to Shawbost 548 S01002370 Bragar to Brue 701 S01002371 Gress to Tolsta 722 S01002372 Barvas to Borve 764 S01002373 Galson to Swainbost 617 S01002374 Habost to Port of Ness 751 TOTAL 27400

80 Outer Hebrides LEADER and EMFF 2014-2020 Local Development Strategy

North Lewis

South Lewis and Harris

North Uist, Benbecula South Uist, Eriskay and Barra

Greater Stornoway

Article Tags:

Outer hebrides tourism recovery plan secures £375,000 from hie.

Robert MacKinnon

A three-year project to restore confidence and resilience in the Outer Hebrides’ tourism sector has secured £375,354 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

The £710,652 project, led by destination management organisation Outer Hebrides Tourism (OHT), will deliver a series of initiatives aimed at inspiring, enabling and delivering destination recovery.

The HIE funding will ensure that OHT is sufficiently resourced to play a vital role in the recovery of tourism across the island chain and up to four jobs will be created to support OHT and associated projects.

HIE recognises the important role played by destination management organisations (DMOs), their extensive reach into local businesses and communities and their influence on a sustainable green tourism recovery alongside responsible visitor management.

The funding of this project will enable OHT to work with its members and public sector partners to deliver on the Sealladh 2030 (Outlook 2030) tourism strategy, which puts people and communities at the centre of the industry. Continued partnership working with Visit Scotland, CalMac and others to promote the islands will stimulate demand and help drive economic recovery.

The HIE funding is from £3m approved by the agency in September 2020 to support strategically important tourism DMOs over the next three years, as part of wider support for the tourism sector’s recovery.

Joanna Peteranna, HIE’s head of enterprise support , said: “Tourism is central to the Outer Hebrides’ economy and a vital source of rural employment and community resilience. Prior to the impact of the pandemic, the tourism sector had enjoyed a decade of sustained growth, adding much-needed momentum to the islands’ economy.

“OHT provides valuable co-ordinated support for the sector and has been a valuable voice for the industry over the last year. Its updated strategy identifies the priorities for the sector’s recovery, focusing on communities, employment, businesses as well as the visitor experience.

“It is important that the organisation has sufficient resources to be as effective as possible in delivering against these priorities, and that’s why we have granted this funding.

“We look forward to continuing our work with OHT, our partners and the Outer Hebrides tourism sector to achieve a successful and sustainable recovery.”

Robert McKinnon, chief executive of OHT , added: “The three years of funding will provide the stability required for OHT to co-ordinate the recovery of tourism which is crucial to the island economy. Delivering the plan will see the sector evolve to improve both economic resilience, through extending the season as well as increased benefits to our communities.

“We will continue its work on the ground throughout the islands with communities, businesses and our public sector partners to get tourism back on its feet and equipped to face the future.”

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Scotland’s future tourism strategy has the ambition to be the world leader in 21 st century tourism

Scotland Outlook 2030, our national tourism strategy was launched on 4th March 2020, and very much remains relevant in the post Covid-19 era. The strategy is reflective of the changing world we live in, our new mindset and approach to how we live and work, and represents the beginning of a bold new approach putting our communities, our people, our visitors, our businesses, and our environment at the heart of everything we do.

Scotland Outlook 2030 was developed through an equal partnership between the Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Government, VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and Skills Development Scotland.  It was guided by a Strategy Steering Group with representatives from the industry, public bodies and partner organisations. Scotland Outlook 2030 has been informed by a robust evidence base gathered from all partners and subsequent and there has been further sense checking and research done in the post Covid-19 era. This has included significant desk research from many sources, as well as independently commissioned reports. Over 2500 tourism leaders and stakeholders from Scotland’s tourism industry have contributed to its development through dedicated events, workshops, and an online survey. A breadth of organisations from local authorities and Destination Management Organisations to business owners, operators and social enterprises were also involved in its development and will continue to be engaged as action and delivery plans are developed.

Strategy Launch Video 

The Vision – We will be the world leader in 21st century tourism. The Mission –  Together we will grow the value and positively enhance the benefits of tourism across Scotland by delivering the very best for our visitors, our businesses, our people, our communities and our environment. Key Priorities –  Our passionate people, our thriving places, our diverse businesses, our memorable experiences. Our Commitments – For each of our key priorities we have an agreed set of commitments. These commitments will ensure that we deliver on our vision to be the world leader in 21 st century tourism.

Download the strategy – “Scotland Outlook 2030 Responsible Tourism For A Sustainable Future” >>  

A year after the launch of the strategy, the STA released an updated video. A lot has happened since March 2020, however, we can STILL be the leaders in 21st century tourism.

Speaking at the 2021 STA conference, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“I set out a vision for Scotland to be a leader in 21 st  century tourism when I announced Scotland Outlook 2030 at this very conference last year. I am confident, that by working in partnership, we can still achieve this vision.”

In November 2022 as we finally emerged from Covid the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group (THILG) was set up to champion the national tourism strategy, Scotland Outlook 2030 and help drive Scotland’s ambition to be a world leader in 21st century tourism. The THILG will also look at how tourism fits into the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET).

The THILG builds on the partnership approach of the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group (STERG) which is the group that led the industry’s response to the Covid-19 crisis.

– Read more about STERG

The Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group brings industry representatives together with those from public agencies. It will help drive recovery and sustainable growth across both tourism and hospitality in the long term. The group will support work to grow the value and enhance the benefits of tourism across Scotland. At the same time, it will deliver the very best for visitors, businesses, and communities.

All members of the THILG have knowledge and experience of destinations, sectors and businesses and were appointed through an open application process. They sit on the group as individuals and not as representatives of companies or organisations. Separately, eight organisations are also represented on the group.

Industry Leadership Group Members:

Co-chairs: -Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade -Marc Crothall MBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance

Vice chair: -Judy Rae, OnFife Cultural Trust

Organisation members: -COSLA -Highlands and Islands Enterprise -Scottish Enterprise -South of Scotland Enterprise -Scottish Tourism Alliance -Scottish Government -Skills Development Scotland -Unite -VisitScotland

Industry members:

Industry members are appointed as individuals. They’re not in the Industry Leadership Group as representatives of companies or organisations.

-Aileen Crawford, Glasgow Life -Andrea Nicholas, Green Business UK Ltd/Green Tourism Certification Programme -Barbara Smith, Diageo -Benjamin Carey, Carey Tourism -Calum Ross, Loch Melfort Hotel Ltd/Highlands and Islands Enterprise/Red Roof Business Support Ltd -Carron Tobin, RuralDimensions Ltd -Chris O’Brien, Nevis Range -Chris Greenwood, Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development Glasgow School for Business and Society (Glasgow Caledonian University) -Debbie Johnson, IHG Hotels and Resorts -Joshua Ryan-Saha, Traveltech for Scotland TourismTech at Edinburgh Futures Institute (University of Edinburgh) -Joss Croft OBE, UKinbound -Kat Brogan, Mercat Tours and Mercat Tours International -Kelly Johnstone, The Springboard Charity -Leon Thompson, UKHospitality Scotland -Melanie Allen, Chair, Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere/owner, Nithbank Country Estate -Michael Golding, Visit Inverness Loch Ness -Russell Murray, Wilderness Group/Wilderness Scotland -Stephen Duncan, Historic Environment Scotland

For more information and updates on the work of the THILG, including minutes of meetings please visit the dedicated THILG pages hosted on VisitScotland.org and the Scottish Government via the links below:

– VistScotland – Scottish Government

• Recreation and cultural heritage

Marine tourism

Key message.

Marine tourism is a key sector for Scotland, generating £594 million Gross Value Added (GVA) and employment for 28,300 people in 2017. The long term trend from 2008 to 2017 showed marine tourism GVA increased by 28% and employment by 16%.

What, why and where?

Marine tourism covers a wide range of activities including: walking/ hiking/ running, beach activities, photography, yachting/ sailing, swimming, wildlife tourism, diving, kayaking, angling, surfing, visitor attractions and increasingly, cruise ship visits. Much of the sector relies on people taking part in activities in places where they are freely permitted: for example sailing where there is freedom of navigation and walking where there is suitable access (paths, beaches etc.). As a result gathering spatial data to locate activity is not straightforward.

Economic figures show that marine tourism accounted for around 14% of all tourism in 2017. While figures from the study of Scottish residents found that the vast majority (89%) of the Scottish public surveyed have visited the Scottish sea or coast in the past year. (Scottish Government, 2020).

The Scottish Marine Recreation Tourism Survey (SMRTS) (Scottish Government, 2016) was commissioned to inform the National Marine Plan (Scottish Government, 2015). It provided marine planners, the tourism industry and potential investors with information about 23 different recreation and tourism activities undertaken at sea and around the coastline.

Figure 1: Marine recreation and Tourism Survey 2015 - All activities combined (showing Scottish Marine Regions and Offshore Marine Regions). Darker colouring shows areas of higher activity. 

Source: Scottish Marine and Recreation Tourism Survey (Scottish Government, 2016).

The survey encompassed many types of tourism, with differing levels of response and activity. So the results are helpful to identify busy areas and activities with confidence, although less busy areas or activities are reported with less confidence. A nil response to the survey does not mean nil activity.

Scottish Government has designated 2020 the Year of Coasts and Waters. The importance of marine and coastal tourism was a key driver in this designation.

What, why and where? (Extended)

The Scottish Marine Recreation Tourism Survey (SMRTS) report (Scottish Government, 2016) gathered spatial data from over 2,500 respondents and provided improved awareness of what takes place where. 

The study notes that ‘ survey design and method for data collection means the survey results are not representative of all marine recreation and tourism activities in Scotland, particularly in more remote areas, and information on activities with fewer participants is not to be taken as an indication that no activity takes place ’. As such the spatial data from SMRTS are helpful but not definitive. 

In 2015 the Marine Tourism Development Group (MTDG) published ‘Awakening the Giant – the Marine Tourism Strategy 2015’ which was then revisited in 2018 (MTDG, 2015; MTDG, 2018). The strategy was an industry-led strategy to maximise the potential of Marine Tourism in Scotland. Both the original strategy and the following review set out an ambition for growth, with sailing identified as the largest of the activities within the sector. A key strand of the work was the development of adequate facilities to accommodate growth and changing leisure patterns. 

A new strategy ‘Giant Strides’ is currently under development and is expected to be produced in 2020.

Yachting / sailing

The Royal Yachting Association’s (RYA) ‘Coastal Atlas of Recreational Boating’ (RYA, 2019) included an update on recreational use intensity, based on location records from AIS (Automatic Identification System). AIS provides information about a vessel carrying the system to other vessels and to coastal authorities automatically. Figure a (left) shows the location of recreational boating activity based on the RYA information with Figure a (right) taken from the SMRTS report, and self-reported locations from the SMRTS sample. The AIS data are reasonably representative inshore but become less reliable away from the coast. It should also be noted that not all recreational craft carry AIS. What is apparent is that sailing is concentrated in the Clyde and along the west coast.

Sailing is particularly dependent upon the range of available infrastructure: there are a number of marinas, harbours offering pontoon berths and dedicated mooring areas around Scotland (Figure b).

The Sailing Tourism in Scotland Report (EKOS, 2016) for The Crown Estate, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Canals updated the earlier Sailing Tourism in Scotland Report (2010) for Scottish Enterprise. It undertook economic analysis and growth projections of the Sailing Tourism sector in Scotland and identified strategic development areas around the coastline. The study divided Scotland into four main areas – Clyde, West, North and East (Figure c) which are considered to reflect the geography of the main ‘sub national’ sailing economies.

The 2016 report showed that the total supply was approximately 15,700 berths in 2016 (pontoons and moorings for both residents and visitors) up from 12,600 in 2009, an increase of 25% (Table a). Of these 13,500 are resident berths (up 23%) and 2,200 visitor berths (up 32%). Occupancy of resident berths is 95% which is the same level as in 2009, so demand had kept pace with supply. Nearly three quarters of the capacity (73%) is located in the West and Clyde regions (Table b). Facility improvement and expansion is constantly changing and so such figures can only ever be a snapshot. Since the data were collected in 2016 there have been further investments in marina berths and facilities, for example improved facilities at Tarbert on Loch Fyne and Port Edgar, and pontoons at Lochboisdale and Oban.

The Awakening the Giant Strategy (MTDG, 2015) set out an ambition for growth of sailing as a major part of Marine Tourism. It identified that an additional 3,000 berthing facilities were required to fully realise the potential demand. It is not known yet how the awaited ‘Giant Strides’ strategy due in 2020 may change this figure.

Wildlife tourism

Coastal and marine wildlife tourism attracts visitors to view, study and/or enjoy wildlife on the coast. This includes viewing birds, mammals and coastal habitats from boats or from land vantage points with an emphasis on cliff nesting seabirds or seals at haul-out sites (where seals haul themselves out of the water).

Marine wildlife tourism specialist operators provide access to offshore areas and certain marine species, for example, dolphins, porpoises, basking sharks and seals. The Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code (revised in 2017) (SNH, 2017a) is supplemented by the Guide to Best Practice for Watching Marine Wildlife (SNH, 2017b) to help minimise any disturbance to marine life and stay within the law. There is also a network of land based aquaria and marine wildlife centres, Table c.

Cruise ships

The growing cruise ship industry is another important part of the leisure and recreation sector. Between 2010 and 2018 the number of cruise ship visits has more than doubled (Table d). More details are included in the maritime transport section  of the assessment.

Research into the cruise sector is ongoing.

Visitor attractions

The Moffat Centre for Travel & Tourism Business Development (Glasgow Caledonian University) creates a regular visitor attraction monitor report (by subscription) based on survey returns from participating attractions. The data from ‘Coastal attractions’, defined as being located within approximately one mile of the coast, reveals that the Clyde and Forth & Tay Scottish Marine Regions (SMR) have the largest visitor numbers (Figure d).

The results in the monitor survey show that (of those who responded to the survey in each of the last three years, and are ‘Coastal attractions’) museums and art galleries represent 45% of visits in 2018. Outdoors and nature attractions were the second most popular at 12% of visits in 2018 (see Table e). Findings from the Moffat Centre monitor are also shown in the Historic Environment and Cultural Heritage assessment.

In the 2019 bathing season there were 86 designated bathing waters, where SEPA monitors water quality from 15 May to 15 September and publishes the sampling results online ( SEPA ). Monitoring results of designated bathing waters is covered in the clean and safe, bathing water microbiology section. The 2019 classifications, calculated at the end of the 2018 bathing water season and applying to each bathing water for the duration of the 2019 season were:

In 2016 Keep Scotland Beautiful introduced Scotland's Beach Awards , assessed on 30 individual criteria points, replacing the earlier Blue Flag / Seaside Award. Table f details recent awards.

Diving, canoeing, kayaking, angling and surfing

Diving on wrecks or offshore reefs is an important recreational activity particularly in Orkney and along the Berwickshire coast. A number of wrecks are protected (see Historic Environment & Cultural Heritage assessment ).

The 168 respondents to the SMRTS survey who reported taking part in SCUBA diving identified over 2,000 locations where they had been. This information has been used to generate a heat map showing the concentration of SCUBA diving around the Scottish coast.

Figure e: Recreational SCUBA diving locations (showing Scottish Marine Regions and Offshore Marine Regions).

Source: SMRTS (Scottish Government, 2016) & Finstrokes .

Note: the pink circles are semi-transparent, so the dive sites points appear darker when they overlap the underlying ‘fewer / more activities’ SMRTS data.

Canoeing and kayaking take place around sea lochs and in coastal areas, especially on the west coast, while inland canals - the Crinan, Forth and Clyde, Union and Caledonian canals - not only provide transit routes between coastal areas but act as tourism destinations in their own right.

Sea angling

Sea angling is carried out from most regions of the coastline. A wide range of species are caught including cod, tope, bass, rays, pollack, mackerel and spurdog. Species caught vary from region to region and at different times of the year. Information about the capture of some fish is covered in the Salmon and Sea Trout Fishing part of the assessment.

Surfing and windsurfing

Surfing and windsurfing take particular advantage of the Atlantic waves breaking off the Inner Hebrides but surfing is also popular on the east coast.

See West Coast Waters & North Coast 500: two examples of marine and coastal related tourism initiatives

Marine Social Attitudes survey

A study on Scottish resident’s attitudes (Scottish Government, 2020) towards the marine environment found that women in particular as well as residents living in coastal areas are more likely to go walking, do beach activities, or wildlife watch along the coast than men or those who do not live near the coast. Many residents mentioned that while they enjoy using the marine environment for leisure they would like to see better facilities available, such as clean, working toilets, availability of drinking water, and better walkways and access for people with buggies or wheelchairs. The study also found that many have concerns over the negative impact of tourism, particularly in terms of people polluting and littering. Evidence suggests while residents generally consider tourism a good thing, many say that it must be well managed in order to ensure the costs do not outweigh the benefits to Scotland’s marine environment.

Contribution to the economy

Marine tourism generated £594 million Gross Value Added (GVA) and employment for 28,300 people in 2017 (Scottish Government, 2019). This represents 14% of the £4.1 billion GVA from all Scottish tourism. GVA is the value of goods and services produced minus the cost of raw materials and other inputs used to produce them. Marine tourism employment figures account for 38% of employment in the Scottish marine economy (excluding oil and gas extraction).  However these figures are headcounts and do not take account of the seasonal and part-time nature of employment in marine tourism.

From 2014 to 2017, the GVA from marine tourism (adjusted to 2017 prices) increased by 2%, while the longer term trend from 2008 to 2017 (Figure 3) showed that marine tourism GVA increased by 28%. From 2014 to 2017 employment increased by 6%, while the longer term trend, from 2008 to 2017, showed a 16% increase.

Source: Scotland’s Marine Economic Statistics. (Scottish Government, 2019).

Economic values for leisure and tourism can be provided by Scottish Marine Region (SMR) (see Table g, in ‘Read More’ section). Information by local authority is unavailable due to the small number of responses for some areas and the need to protect the confidentiality of individual businesses. While SMRs are geographies that relate to the sea, marine tourism is earned on land and so the figure shows outputs around the coast.

The Sailing Tourism in Scotland report (EKOS, 2016), concluded that Scotland’s sailing tourism economy is worth £130 million and supports 2,700 jobs.

Contribution to the economy (Extended)

The Forth and Tay region was the largest contributor to marine tourism GVA in 2017 at £154 million (26% of the GVA), while the Clyde region contributed 7,200 jobs, (26% of the employment), which was slightly higher than the Forth and Tay.

The methodology used in the Marine Economic Statistics (Scottish Government, 2019) for the leisure and recreation builds on the methodology developed as part of the Scottish Marine Recreation Tourism Survey (SMRTS) report (Scottish Government, 2016).

Marine tourism and recreation has been defined as including “activities which involve travel away from one’s “habitual” place of residence, which have as their host or focus the marine environment and/or the coastal zone”. It was assumed that all tourism businesses located in postcodes wi thin 100 metres of the coastline were engaging in marine tourism and recreation or dependent on the marine environment. While this assumption may not be strictly accurate (includes some businesses that are not marine-related, and not include some that are marine-related) it provides a reasonable and replicable method of estimating marine tourism and recreation businesses with existing data.

The industry categories (from Scotland’s Annual Business Survey ) that are included are:

• Hotels and similar accommodation.
• Holiday and other short-stay accommodation.
• Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks.
• Restaurants and mobile food service activities.
• Beverage serving activities.
• Tour operator activities.
• Other reservation service and related activities.
• Museum activities.
• Operation of historical sites and buildings and similar visitor attractions.
• Botanical and zoological gardens and nature reserve activities.
• Operation of sports facilities.
• Other sports activities (not including activities of racehorse owners).
• Activities of amusement parks and theme parks.
• Other amusement and recreation activities.

Table g shows the marine tourism contribution to GVA by SMR and how that has changed since 2014 (the first reported marine tourism GVA). The source for the marine tourism GVA figures is the Scottish Annual Business Survey (SABS). This is a sample survey, so more detailed breakdowns of the data will result in reduced statistical quality. In particular, when the data are disaggregated to SMR, small changes can have a have a very marked effect on figures from one year to the next. The SMR marine tourism GVA trend arrow is derived from the % change and any change less than or equal to 5% is included in ‘No change’. Trend arrows are not calculated on small values (GVA of less than 20 million in 2017) due to the volatility of the sample. This direction of travel is used for the trend assessment. The 2017 value allows the individual SMR value to be put into context with marine tourism as a whole.

Examples of socio-economic effects

• Contributes to a healthier, happier nation.
• Contributes to the economy, drives inclusive growth and underpins supply chains.
• Provides employment in rural and coastal locations.
• Major events (e.g. West Highland Yachting Week and Tiree Wave Classic) give coastal communities a distinct and global profile.
• Seasonal nature not as robust as non-seasonal industries.
• Vulnerable to economic downturns.
• Activities can compete for space.

Pressures on the environment

An OSPAR agreed list of marine pressures is used to help assessments of human activities in the marine environment. The marine pressure list has been adapted for use in Scotland via work on the Feature Activity Sensitivity Tool (FeAST) . Leisure and recreation activities can be associated with 13 marine pressures – please read the pressure descriptions and benchmarks for further detail.

Pressures on the environment (Extended)

The list of marine pressures is used to help standardise assessments of activities on the marine environment, and is adapted from an agreed list prepared by  OSPAR  Intercessional Correspondence Group on Cumulative Effects (ICG-C) (see OSPAR 2014-02 ‘ OSPAR Joint Assessment and Monitoring Programme (JAMP) 2014-2021’ Update 2018’  (Table II).

The Feature Activity Sensitivity Tool (FeAST) uses the marine pressure list to allow users to investigate the sensitivity of Scottish marine features. It also associates all pressures that might be exerted by a defined list of activities at a particular benchmark. The extent and impact of each pressure from a given activity will vary according to its intensity or frequency. The extent and impact of the pressure will also vary depending on the sensitivity of the habitat or species on which it is acting. The existence of multiple activities, and potentially multiple pressures, at specific locations will result in a cumulative impact on the environment.

FeAST is a developing tool. A snap shot from 2019 was used for the development of SMA2020. Please consult the FeAST webpage for further information and up to date information.

The list of pressures below associated with this activity is given in alphabetical order. Clicking the pressure will give you more information on the pressure and examples of how it may be associated with the activity.

Forward look

The Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 will focus attention on Scotland’s seas and coasts.

Marine and coastal tourism also features as a key sector in other Scottish Government work, such as City Deals, regeneration projects such as that currently being undertaken in North Ayrshire and the wider Programme for Government Commitment to develop the South of Scotland as a tourism destination. The effect of the Themed Year and other initiatives will be evaluated in appropriate data in future years.

The SMRTS 2015 survey highlighted the importance of good environmental conditions and abundant marine wildlife to marine tourists and particularly to many recreational boaters. The joint British Marine and RYA initiative The Green Blue , a website that promotes sustainable boating for cleaner and healthier waters, has been reinvigorated (2019) and RYA has been working with NatureScot to minimise any adverse effects of recreational boating on Priority Marine Features.

The cruise ship industry is expected to continue to expand. The industry is confident that 1 million passengers a year will occur either in 2019 or 2020. A study (Cruise Scotland, 2010), when 248,923 visitors arrived, forecast 830,000 passengers by 2025, so growth continues ahead of expectations.

Forward look (Extended)

The Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 will focus attention on Scotland’s seas and coasts based around four themes:

• Our Natural Environment & Wildlife.
• Our Historic Environment & Cultural Heritage.
• Activities & Adventure.
• Food & Drink.

The broad scope of the Themed Year will highlight the social, rural, environmental and economic policies and projects in development across the Scottish Government and wider public sector.

In response to the growing switch away from hydrocarbon fuel, there may be more vessels with electrical propulsion but the nature of this technology is still unclear. It is not yet clear to what extent the effects of climate change and the disposal of end-of-life boats is being considered by recreational boaters.

Under two scenarios the Sailing Tourism in Scotland Report (EKOS, 2016) indicated potential growth for the 4 sailing areas (Table h).

The report noted that a lack of facilities in the East had constrained a growth in demand, which could be satisfied over a longer timeframe by the proposed future developments at Dundee and Granton.

Work has started on a new 75 berth marina at Newton, Stornoway, the first phase of a 20-year plan. The Outer Hebrides is already a key sailing destination for visitors, and Stornoway is an important link in a chain of marinas stretching from the Butt of Lewis to the Isle of Barra.

Economic trend assessment

GVA from marine tourism in Scotland has increased from £580 M in 2014 to £594 in 2017 (2017 prices) an increase of 2% (2014 is used as the base line to remain consistent with the earliest that the disaggregated SMR data for marine tourism is available).

National trend

Scottish Marine Region trends are based on GVA at 2017 prices. The % change in GVA is reported. Changes of less than 5% are considered as not substantial changes. In addition, trend arrows are not calculated on small values (GVA of less the 20 million in 2017) due to the volatility of the source Scottish Annual Business Statistics sample data. Confidence is three stars as based on published national statistics. The detailed table of results is shown as Table g in the Extended economic section above.

This Legend block contains the key for the status and trend assessment, the confidence assessment and the assessment regions (SMRs and OMRs or other regions used). More information on the various regions used in SMA2020 is available on the  Assessment processes and methods page.

Status and trend assessment

Confidence assessment.

Assessment regions

Key: S1, Forth and Tay; S2, North East; S3, Moray Firth; S4 Orkney Islands, S5, Shetland Isles; S6, North Coast; S7, West Highlands; S8, Outer Hebrides; S9, Argyll; S10, Clyde; S11, Solway; O1, Long Forties, O2, Fladen and Moray Firth Offshore; O3, East Shetland Shelf; O4, North and West Shetland Shelf; O5, Faroe-Shetland Channel; O6, North Scotland Shelf; O7, Hebrides Shelf; O8, Bailey; O9, Rockall; O10, Hatton.

Links and resources

• Literature and Data sources

To view full details of the literature source, click the title. Where literature has a DOI, you can click on the DOI link to be taken directly to the source material.

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Image: Dun Carloway Broch, Outer Hebrides

Lewis & Harris

Off the west coast of Scotland, the Isle of Lewis and Isle of Harris form the main island in the Outer Hebrides. With dramatic landscapes, a unique Gaelic culture and fascinating history, Lewis and Harris are a great place to start your Hebridean adventure. You will be blown away by wild mountains, immense white beaches, rugged coastlines and lunar landscapes.

Find experiences

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Things to do in Lewis and Harris

Visit historic sites, places of incredible beauty and great cultural attractions on Lewis and Harris and be enchanted by the wonders of the Outer Hebrides.

Luskentyre Sands

Found on the west coast of South Harris, Luskentyre Sands boasts miles of white sand and stunning green-blue water.

Gearrannan Blackhouse

This coastal crofting village on the Isle of Lewis offers cottage accommodation, historical activities and fantastic walking opportunities.

Butt of Lewis

The Butt of Lewis comprises of rocks and cliffs up to 80 feet high and is the location of a 121 ft high lighthouse.

Lews Castle

Built by Sir James Matheson, uncover the history behind Lews Castle and take in the unbeatable views over the waters of Stornoway.

Archaeology in the Outer Hebrides

Find out more about the islands through history. Discover Neolithic stone structures medieval castles and even mummies!

39 things to do on the Isle of Lewis

Check out travel blogger, My Voyage Scotland's, top recommendations on the best things to see and do around Lewis.

Inspiration for Lewis and Harris breaks

Traigh Iar Beach Near Horgabost

© VisitScotland / Paul Tomkins

Places to stay

Find your perfect accommodation on Lewis and Harris, with a variety of hotels, B&Bs, self-catering, camping and more right across the Outer Hebridean island. 

White tailed sea eagle

Tours, routes and trails

Check out our ideas for ways to explore the wild and beautiful landscapes of Lewis and Harris.

Unique experiences

Learn more about Gaelic culture, book a hands-on experience or delve into the textile history of the island.

Gaelic in the Outer Hebrides

Delve into the ancient and lyrical language of the Outer Hebrides.

Harris Tweed

Visit the home of Harris Tweed - the world's most luxurious wool fabric, exclusively handwoven in the Outer Hebrides.

Callanish Alpacas

This family-run alpaca centre is home to alpacas, wild ducks, pigs and even a peacock!

Map of Lewis and Harris

Explore lewis & harris.

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How to travel to and around Lewis and Harris

Lewis and Harris can be reached by ferry and plane making it easy to travel to the Outer Hebrides.

Getting around

Daily car ferries operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) run from Ullapool on the mainland to Stornoway, the main town of Lewis and Harris. The port of Tarbert on Harris is linked to Uig on the Isle of Skye by daily ferries.

Plan your ferry journey on the CalMac website

Find out more about ferry travel in the Outer Hebrides

There are numerous marinas in the Outer Hebrides, so why not travel by boat? 

Discover more about sailing in the Outer Hebrides

If you want to fly, the island's airport lies just a few miles from the town centre, with regular flights with Loganair arriving and departing from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, and Benbecula. 

Check out the Loganair website for more information

Book your flight on the Outer Hebrides website

Lewis and Harris offer a wide range of walking routes from hiking through the Hebrides nature reserves to leisurely strolls along some of the island's most famous beaches.

Check out more walking routes on the Outer Hebrides website

If you're up for a challenge and wish to take your walking adventure to the next level, the Hebridean Way is a great option to explore the Outer Hebrides natural beauty. The 156-mile-long distance walking route stretches from Vatersay to Stornoway in Lewis, taking you through ten islands, over six causeways and across two ferries. 

Find out more about the Hebridean Way on Sustrans website

Enjoy a bike ride up the North Harris Hills where you will work your way up the highest hill in the Outer Hebrides before dropping down steeply towards the shores of Loch Seaforth.

The village of Leurbost in Lewis is the meeting point of two popular Scottish island cycling routes which connects with Uig, Bernera, and the Westside or Stornoway and the north.

North of Leurbost is relatively flat for cycling. However, if you choose to cycle on the Isle of Lewis in the Uig and Bernera District, expect to come face to face with some challenging hills.

Explore more cycling routes on the Outer Hebrides website

Bus and coach

The local council provides a good bus service between Monday - Saturday, connecting Stornoway with many of the island's other settlements.

Find out more about bus travel in the Outer Hebrides

The roads of Lewis and Harris are generally quiet and many of them are single track, with plenty of passing places.

Plan your trip on the Outer Hebrides website

What's on in Lewis and Harris

Calanais Standing Stones at sunset

© VisitScotland / Kenny Lam

Plan your perfect trip and find out the latest events and festivals taking place across Lewis and Harris.

Places to Eat in Lewis and Harris

Stornoway harbour

Food & Drink

Get a flavour of the islands with world-class seafood, Stornoway Black pudding and award-winning gin.

A tip from your local expert

Seaforth Harris Tweed

Iain at Seaforth Harris Tweed is so passionate and has so much knowledge and history within his living museum, it is well worth a visit. Be sure to book in advance, as it is by appointment only!

Assistant iCentre Manager, Stornoway

Explore further

Plan your trip to Lewis and Harris or adventure further in the Outer Hebrides.

Other things you might like

Isle of Barra

Responsible tourism in the Outer Hebrides

See the best of the outer hebrides.

Ultimate Guide to Visiting the Outer Hebrides

Home > Blog > Ultimate Guide to Visiting the Outer Hebrides

Picture pristine white sand beaches, mystical stone monuments, quiet roads through lochs and inlets, and wild waves crashing on a lighthouse. A colony of inquisitive puffins, distant ferries sailing by, and peaceful crofts and farmland with plentiful sheep. An icy cold wind reminds you that you’re on the far edge of Scotland. Welcome to the Outer Hebrides.

Absolute Escapes are award-winning specialists in self-drive holidays in Scotland , and we love the opportunity to use our knowledge and experience to design the perfect, bespoke holiday for our clients.

The Outer Hebrides is a destination close to our hearts and we’re delighted to share a bit of our first-hand knowledge. Read on to find out all you’ve ever wanted to know about visiting Scotland’s spectacular western islands.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Visit Outer Hebrides (@visitouterhebrides)

General FAQs:

Where are the Outer Hebrides?

What is the history of the outer hebrides, what’s the weather like in the outer hebrides, when is the best time to visit the outer hebrides, what’s the largest island in the outer hebrides.

Getting to the Outer Hebrides:

Do ferries sail to the Outer Hebrides?

Are there flights to the outer hebrides, how do i get from edinburgh or glasgow to the outer hebrides, how do i get from london to the outer hebrides.

Staying on the Outer Hebrides:

What kind of accommodation is in the Outer Hebrides?

Are there luxury hotels in the outer hebrides, what are the best places to stay in the outer hebrides.

Touring the Outer Hebrides:

What are the best things to do in the Outer Hebrides?

Are there good walking opportunities in the outer hebrides, where are the best beaches in the outer hebrides, what are the best boat trips in the outer hebrides, how do i visit st kilda, are there escorted tours of the outer hebrides, are there midges in the outer hebrides, how do i book a holiday to the outer hebrides.

The Outer Hebrides, also known as the Western Isles, are a chain of remote islands located off the northwest coast of Scotland.

The main islands that form this archipelago include Lewis and Harris (two ‘islands’ connected by land), North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, and Barra. However, there are as many as ten more islands connected or attached to the main islands!

Tiny islands such as Berneray and Vatersay act as a link in the chain and are equally worth exploring, despite their small size.

The Outer Hebrides have been inhabited since Mesolithic times, and there is a range of fascinating prehistoric archaeological sites to discover. The most famous of these is the ancient Neolithic Calanais Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis, which resembles its better-known younger cousin Stonehenge in England.

Also on Lewis you’ll find Dun Carloway – one of the best-preserved brochs in the country.

In addition to Neolithic stone structures, there are many other historic sites and interesting archaeological finds that reveal the fascinating history of the islands, from Medieval churches to mummy remains in the Cladh Hallan Roundhouses!

Celtic roots run deep within these island communities and Gaelic is an important aspect of life in the Outer Hebrides. Islanders are proud of their Celtic heritage, and this is reflected in the rich arts and music culture that stems from the islands.

Gaelic is still widely spoken and popular crafts such as Harris Tweed and Celtic jewellery are still handmade using traditional methods.

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With their soft white sand and clear turquoise waters, picture-postcard images of beaches in the Outer Hebrides might transport you to the Caribbean. However, you are far from the Caribbean warmth!

The weather in the Outer Hebrides is much the same as in the rest of the west coast of Scotland – a bit chilly, a bit windy, and maybe a little wet at times.

While lovely sunny days do exist, it is always worth being prepared to face the elements. A light waterproof jacket, boots and layers are your best companion on an island-hopping adventure .

Although, make sure you don’t forget your swimming costume (or wetsuit perhaps!).

The Outer Hebrides are a very popular destination with limited accommodation on offer, so it’s always worth booking well in advance.

High summer months such as July and August tend to be the busiest, while May, June and September are great alternatives when the weather might be drier.

Summer days in the Outer Hebrides are long, giving you more opportunities to make the most of your trip and enjoy all that the islands have to offer.

Lewis & Harris is the largest island in the Outer Hebrides, where most of the population lives. Stornoway on Lewis is the main town and commercial centre of the islands, home to approximately 8,000 people.

If you have limited time to visit the islands, then Stornoway or Tarbert in Harris might the best bases for you to explore much of the islands and do a couple of day trips.

Getting to the Outer Hebrides

There are various ways to travel to the Outer Hebrides, but if you wish to explore the whole chain, then multiple ferry rides are involved.

From the Scottish mainland, you can travel to Barra from Oban, to North Uist from Skye (which is connected to the mainland by the Skye Bridge), or to Stornoway from Ullapool.

While there are daily sailings available, these are limited to once or twice per day, so booking in advance is important if you are taking a car on the ferry. You can pre-book your journeys on the Calmac website.

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Flying to the Outer Hebrides is also a tempting option as the flight to the Isle of Barra is an incredibly scenic and exciting trip! Barra Airport is unique as it is the only airport in the world where scheduled flights land on a beach.

Direct flights are available from most Scottish airports to Barra, Lewis and Benbecula. Trips are typically under an hour, so travelling by air can be quicker than travelling by ferry, but often more expensive and less environmentally friendly. You can check flight times and plan your journey on the Skyscanner website.

From Edinburgh or Glasgow, you can either fly to Stornoway and/or Barra. While this might save you some time, the drive to the west coast of Scotland is spectacular and, in our opinion, unmissable.

We would recommend driving to Oban, following the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, and traversing across wild Argyll towards the coast.

If you prefer to start your island-hopping itinerary from the north to travel south, then travelling north across the Scottish Highlands to Ullapool will take a little longer. In this case, we would suggest splitting your journey by spending an additional night en route.

As there are no direct flights from London to the Outer Hebrides, we would recommend travelling to Edinburgh or Glasgow and making your way to the Outer Hebrides from there.

Staying on the Outer Hebrides

There is a range of lovely places to stay dotted all around in the Outer Hebrides. For our self-drive packages, we will normally try to secure accommodation in a larger town or village with various amenities, such and Stornoway or Tarbert.

However, there are some special places to stay in more remote areas, which are absolutely worth a short drive.

Proper luxury in the form of a 5* hotel is not available in the Outer Hebrides, but there are some truly spectacular and unique places to stay.

Scarista House in Harris is a very popular destination – an elegant yet rustic B&B and fine dining restaurant with lovely rooms featuring spectacular views towards the sea and nearby hills.

Another wonderful place to stay is Broad Bay House on the Isle of Lewis. Owners Sue and Tom offer a warm welcome to their beautiful 5* guest house which offers panoramic sea views, comfortable rooms, and some of the best local produce from the islands.

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Scarista House and Broad Bay House are undoubtedly two of the best places to stay on the islands. However, we also work with a range of accommodation in our Budget and Standard categories, which offer good food, comfort and an all-round unforgettable experience.

For example, the small Heathbank Hotel in Barra has a great restaurant featuring some of the freshest seafood in the country, while Beul Na Mara in Harris sits near the specular Luskentyre Beach and offers clean, bright and airy rooms.

Langass Lodge in North Uist is one of our top choices of Premium accommodation and another great place to stay; this former hunting lodge overlooks Loch Eport and its kitchen serves modern Scottish cuisine featuring fresh island ingredients.

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Touring the Outer Hebrides

Have we mentioned heading to the beach yet? In addition to the many stunning beaches on the islands, there are plenty of other great activities on offer.

History fans will enjoy exploring Lews Castle in Stornoway; a Victorian Baronial mansion, or visiting the brooding ruins of Kisimul Castle in Barra.

The 5,000-year-old Calanais Standing Stones are a must for all visitors to Lewis (including Outlander fans!), while Gearrannan Blackhouse Village is a short drive from Callanish. Here, you can learn about traditional Hebridean blackhouses with their drystone walls and picturesque thatched roofs.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Gearrannan Blackhouse Village (@gearrannanblackhousevillage)

For those interested in wildlife and the outdoors, there are endless opportunities for walking, cycling, and sea kayaking on the islands. The Hebridean Whale Trail follows the best places in the Outer Hebrides to spot cetaceans, such as porpoises, orca whales, minke whales, as well as basking sharks and dolphins.

The Bird of Prey Trail spans the whole island chain and features location markers for the best places to see birds of prey, such as golden eagles, hen harriers and short-eared owls.

Inspired by stunning scenery and rich Celtic heritage, the Outer Hebrides are also home to some of the finest arts and crafts in the world. If it is a cultural experience that you are seeking, visit Sgeulachd a Chlò Mhòir – the official ‘Story Room’ of the Harris Tweed Authority. Harris Tweed is a luxurious wool fabric, exclusively handwoven in the Western Isles and you can find it in the many craft and gift shops in the islands. The art centres An Lanntair in Stornoway and Taigh Chearsabhagh in North Uist also host inspiring exhibitions, theatre and music events.

For those interested in whisky and gin, you might want to pop by the Isle of Harris Distillery which sits on the shores of East Loch Tarbert. While their whisky is still maturing, you can buy a bottle of the lovely Isle of Harris Gin, infused with sugar kelp.

Yes! The Outer Hebrides are a walker’s paradise, with magnificent beaches peacefully stretching for miles on end. The Hebridean Way is a long-distance route spanning nearly 200 miles across 10 breathtaking islands. It is very popular not only with walkers but with cyclists too.

For hillwalkers, there are also some mountain ranges in Harris. To the north, there is the most extensive and highest range of mountains in the Outer Hebrides—a wild conglomeration of ridges, glens and summits. Clisham (or An Cliseam) is the highest mountain at 799 metres high and it is the archipelago’s only Corbett. Further hillwalking opportunities are available in Lewis and South Uist.

If you are interested in learning more, you might wish to purchase a Pocket Mountains guidebook for walking on the islands. We would also recommend visiting our friends at Walkhighlands for inspiration on trickier routes and to help you plan your walks.

The spectacular coastline in the Western Isles is one of the main reasons the archipelago is such as popular tourist destination. The Outer Hebrides have a restorative quality, with endless quiet beaches, an invigorating sea breeze, and the relaxing scent of machair and wildflowers.

Often rated as some of the top beaches in the world, Luskentyre Beach in Harris and Uig Sands in Lewis are undoubtedly two of the most spectacular beaches on the islands.

There are many other tranquil beaches to explore such as Vatersay Bay; the small island of Vatersay is linked by causeway to Barra and boats a stunning sandy bay and a wide expanse of dunes.

Eriskay is another small island connected to South Uist by a causeway and it is host to the beautiful Coileag a’ Prionnnsa beach.

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As well as the trip to St Kilda (see below), Seatrek , which is based in Lewis, offers unforgettable boat trips around the Uig coastline.

Kilda Cruises also offer shorter trips off the coast of Harris, including fishing trips and excursions to the Shiant Isles.

St Kilda is one of the most unique and spectacular places one could visit in the world. This uninhabited isolated archipelago with rugged sea cliffs and impressive sea-stacks towers out of the wild Atlantic Ocean.

It is home to nearly one million seabirds, including the largest colony of Atlantic puffins in the UK. It is also one of the only dual UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world. It is remote. It is wild. It is breathtaking.

A trip to St Kilda is certainly worth it, but not easy. It takes approximately 2.5 to 3 hours to sail to St Kilda each way from the Isle of Harris. Boat trips are available from Leverburgh with Kilda Cruises and Sea Harris , and booking well in advance is essential.

As these trips are often disrupted by the weather, our recommendation would be to spend at least three nights in Harris and book the trip on day two, so if the trip needs to be rescheduled, you can try again the following day.

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Our friends at Rabbie’s Tours offer escorted tours to the Outer Hebrides departing from Edinburgh and Inverness. Rabbie’s are an award-winning company whose expert guides truly take you beyond the guidebooks to explore the stunning scenery and extraordinary history of this country.

Explore the islands in a modern, air-conditioned mini-coach touring with a maximum of 16 passengers. Please get in touch if you are interested in an escorted tour. Rabbie’s will do the guiding, and with our expert knowledge, we’ll make sure you stay in the best accommodation on each island.

Midges are small biting insects and they can indeed be a pest. The good news is that they tend to not be too much of a problem in the Outer Hebrides as there is usually a bit of a sea breeze to keep them away.

Midges like cool, overcast days, and don’t like direct sunlight or wind. You might want to “smidge-up” if you are spending some time on the west coast upon your return from the islands though, particularly during high summer. Smidge is available almost everywhere in the Scottish Highlands, but we also recommend Avon Skin So Soft which is incredibly effective.

Our Hebridean Island Hopping itinerary is one of our most popular self-drive holidays in Scotland, but we can also create a bespoke itinerary based on your interests and requirements.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our expert team if we can help you plan an unforgettable Hebridean escape!

Katia Fernandez Mayo

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Outer Hebrides regional update

In this article:  

• Introduction from Development Manager, Victoria Harvey
• Regional marketing

Scotland and UK media

Seachdain na gaidhlig (world gaelic week), what's new on visitscotland.org, outer hebrides on visitscotland.com.

• Outer Hebrides on social
• Outer Hebrides tourism update

Introduction from Victoria Harvey

Welcome to our latest regional update of the year where we look back at our key activity for the first quarter of 2023 between January and March. We're focusing on the continued responsible growth of our industry, including the regional and seasonal spread of visitors and attracting higher-value visitors who stay longer and spend more.

Our enthusiasm is, of course, tempered by understandable concerns over the continuing high cost of doing business, which remains a challenging backdrop for many in the industry. We're continuing to support tourism businesses in the challenging times ahead, providing them with advice and guidance to help them in the short term, and to allow them to build a more sustainable future.

The countdown to the UCI Cycling World Championships taking place this summer is on, and we launched a cycling industry toolkit to help support businesses to make the most of the opportunity and further develop Scottish cycling tourism.

With the Hebridean Way boasting an unbeatable cycling route, the islands will be featured in our marketing around the event, encouraging visitors to explore Scotland’s incredible cycling experiences.

Here’s a roundup of some of our activity in the Outer Hebrides in recent months. 

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Connect with others working across the tourism industry in the Outer Hebrides and keep up with our latest news, updates, and insights.

Marketing and campaign activity

Spirit of the highlands and islands.

The Outer Hebrides was included in all global campaigns, including:  

• UK paid social media campaign for spring 2023 – generated 35.3 million impressions, 5.1 million video views and over 79,400 clicks from content promoted across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and video adverts
• dedicated Spirit of the Highlands and Islands enewsletter reached over 1.2 million consumers across a domestic and international audience
• broadcast campaign in March using voluntourism as a hook to create interest about the Highlands and Islands. – generated 18 items of coverage across Scotland and UK broadcast outlets including BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Somerset

Scotland is Calling phase four

Scotland is Calling is our international, multi-million pound global marketing campaign. It aims to bolster the recovery of Scotland’s valuable tourism and events industry by encouraging younger visitors to make Scotland their top travel choice.

Phase four activity took place between September 2022 – March 2023, and included content from the Outer Hebrides.

Our paid media activity included video content featuring the Outer Hebrides to drive destination awareness to new younger audiences. We supported this by influencer marketing, PR, social media (Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest) and our own channels. It also included intermediary and business-to-business content.  

Campaign results include:

• UK audiences across Instagram, TikTok and Teads between February – March 2023: 1.9 million video views and over 12,400 clicks
• US audiences across Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Connected TV between January – March 2023: 8.1 million video views and 58,000 clicks

Part of this campaign also included a partnership with Expedia. This resulted in:

• UK audience between September 2022 – January 2023: 1.5 million impressions, 37,700 room nights booked, 587 air tickets booked, $5 million in gross bookings
• US audience between October 2022 – March 2023: 3.5 million impressions, 5,459 room nights booked, 796 air tickets booked, $2.1 million in gross bookings
• Our team pitched the Outer Hebrides as part of a campaign on Wedding Day's around Valentine's Day, and the best locations in Scotland to propose. This included an isolated beach in the Outer Hebrides.  The coverage appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Post, which has a reach of more than 135,181 readers.  
• Outer Hebrides also featured in The Sunday Post's "In the Isle of the beholder" print article in March. This article focused on the best island trips to take within Scotland, and recommended a visit to the Uist's. 

We work closely with Scottish and UK media to raise awareness of our work to promote the Outer Hebrides to visitors, and how we offer support for the industry.  

Some of the most recent highlights include: 

World Gaelic Week was celebrated with wide range of activity , including a press release highlighting businesses in the Outer Hebrides who are using the Gaelic language as part of their tourism offering. We also shared a range of assets for industry here on VisitScotland.org.

We encouraged tourism businesses in Outer Hebrides to use our new cycling industry toolkit to capitalise on the UCI Cycling World Championships and cycling tourism in Scotland.

Broad Bay House in Back, Lewis and Ceòl na Mara near Tarbert, Harris were awarded five-star gold rating and five-star awards respectively on their first reviews since the COVID-19 pandemic – we shared the news through a press release and  VisitScotland.org news.

We encouraged tourism businesses across Scotland to take part in Connect, our global travel trade workshop in Aberdeen last month, with Cala Hotels attending.

The first-ever Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) took place in 2022, entirely online during lockdown.

In February, we celebrated the second Seachdain na Gaidhlig (World Gaelic Week). As a result of support from Bord na Gàidhlig more than 100 celebratory events took place across Scotland this year. 

The week had the overarching theme “Coming Together” as it was an opportunity to connect people from across the world, visitors and local communities alike, to promote, use and learn Gaelic language. 

We collated a range of blogs, articles, a Gaelic toolkit and video to provide industry a selection of free content to utilise during the week.

We're constantly updating our website to provide you with a wealth of relevant and up-to-date news and information. Take a look at some of our newest pages and articles.

Taking climate action

Our new climate guide is designed to help your business on your journey to net zero.

Changes to deposit return scheme

Craft drinks producers and pubs that provide off-sales are among those that will benefit from changes to Scotland’s deposit return scheme.

Scotland promoted at major tourism event  

We hosted our first in-person international travel trade event since the pandemic in Aberdeen last week.

ALVA 2022 visitor figures

The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) has released the visitor figures of its members for 2022.

Visitor Management Marketing Campaign Results

Take a look at the results from our visitor management marketing campaigns across 2021 and 2022.

Blogs are a way to reach potential visitors to the Outer Hebrides through a range of targeted online content, which matches experiences visitors are searching for. Be sure to share them across your social channels to inspire your future visitors.

Take a look at some new and refreshed content including the Outer Hebrides on visitscotland.com:

• eight unusual hostels and bunkhouses in Scotland
• Scottish sailing events you don't want to miss in 2023
• five stunning cycle routes on Scotland's islands
• why no-one does spring like Scotland
• unmissable film festivals in Scotland
• hotels with good food and drink in Scotland

Social media statistics

over 7.3 million

reached by Outer Hebrides posts

over 360,000

engaged with Outer Hebrides content across all channels

focused on the Outer Hebrides across channels

Update from Outer Hebrides Tourism

It’s full steam ahead for the cruise season, with tourism businesses and community groups set to benefit.

Murdo Morrison was appointed to the role of Cruise Destination Development Manager with Outer Hebrides Tourism and has already hit the ground running.

If you're looking to tap into the current and future opportunities, then please get in touch at [email protected] . 

Related links

Six tips on improving your social media presence.