'Clearances' are not inevitable if the Highlands get investment

The National

a day ago

Call me strange, but I love to read the inscriptions on the gravestones of people who came and went long before I was born.
I try to imagine their lives. Born 1851, died 1938 – narrowly avoiding the horrors of the Second World War. Born 1901, died 1903 – a young child, presumably leaving behind grief-stricken parents. Born 1853, died 1917 – home on leave, perhaps.
So many stories. They lived and died in this patch of earth. Some of the most remarkable stories are of those who did leave home, living in other countries for decades, before returning in their latter years.
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There are plenty of stories of Highland policemen, or cattlemen, in the wilds of Wyoming and the mountains of Montana. Older locals still remember these (mostly) men returning with strange habits, jaw-dropping stories and a penchant for coffee so thick it was essentially syrup.
Others were dispatched to the four corners of the globe during the war years. They'd never been to Inverness before the war, but during the global conflict, they saw the world. Returning to the croft, many never left again. They found solace in the mountains and never told their stories.
As the generations pass on, so do the memories and the stories. And yet, what we see and know today has been shaped by every soul who came before. That is obviously seen in the ruins scattered across the Applecross peninsula and beyond. Four walls, no roof, and a green patch of ground in front that served as food and livelihood.
There are many visitors who look at the landscape and see a wilderness. Preserve the environment as though it is pristine and untouched. Understandably, the scenic beauty draws thousands to visit and inspires plenty of wild swimmers and hill walkers.
They are very welcome. And I totally understand the need to preserve the environment and the beauty. But the emptiness of many glens isn't to be celebrated. This wilderness isn't untamed. It's a stark warning about the vulnerability of life in the Highlands.
I must confess to getting extremely worked up by the number of times I'm warned that a certain policy or government decision will lead to the next Highland clearances.
If you know your history, you'd use that warning sparingly. Because vast swathes of the Highlands are uninhabited today due to a lack of housing security, economic opportunity and local control in the past. And those three issues remain the single greatest threats to the future of our communities.
Don't forget the words of economists Donald Mackay and Neil Buxton, writing in 1965, the year that the Highlands and Islands Development (Scotland) Act was enacted: 'What evidence there is available suggests that there is no economic case for the development of the Highland area … the economic solution to the 'Highland Problem' is to induce the movement of labour out of, and not the movement of capital into, the area.'
And yet, history also shows that vast injections of investment and industrial growth in the Highlands transformed the prospects of countless young Highlanders.
One example was the growth of hydro power in the mid-20th century. Apart from anything else, the investment in hydro schemes connected communities to the power grid for the first time – some of which had no power until well into the 1960s.
Tom Johnston MP's vision in 1941 was to create revival and renewal in Highland communities by expanding hydro power.
He formed the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board, which would create several hydro schemes, supply the national grid and connect more rural communities. Within about 20 years, there were 54 power stations and 78 dams. More importantly, 90% of the Highlands was connected to the grid.
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You don't need me to tell you how transformational light and power are to any household or business. And I've done enough canvassing in the rural Highlands to see how many 'hydro homes' still stand – more than half a century later.
While the oil and gas industry was headquartered further east, in Aberdeenshire, the benefits of the energy boom in the 1970s and 1980s also changed communities. In Kishorn and the surrounding villages, life changed almost overnight.
These villages were haemorrhaging the youth, when work began at the Kishorn Yard to develop into a manufacturing and fabrication yard for oil platforms.
By 1977, there were more than 3000 people working at the yard. For context, the Applecross Community Company estimates there are 2501 residents across the peninsula today.
Consider the equivalent in Glasgow – just over the total population of a city being employed on one site.
Wages massively increased. Suddenly, it was easier to buy a car and visit family. Local businesses grew. The number of hospitality and retail businesses increased. The young came home – men and women – to work at the yard. The schools swelled with the children of young families. Investment, economic opportunity and increased income.
The story of what happened next would take too long. But the story of what is happening now is incredibly exciting.
Last month, I announced that Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) would invest £24.259 million at Kishorn Port to enhance its capacity and capabilities, with an expanded dry dock.
This development could attract projects with the potential to support up to 1500 jobs once the port is fully developed. It's a part of the Scottish Government commitment of up to £500m over five years to develop the country's ports and offshore wind supply chain.
In my travels across the Highlands speaking to communities, there are two common complaints. The first is why costs are so high – for everything – and the second is investing in the next generation of Highlanders.
I've written before about the challenges of depopulation. With the right, targeted investments that focus on local communities and deliver tangible benefits – be that housing, infrastructure, jobs, fair wages – we can shape the future.
The Highlands are beautiful, but no generation can sustain its young on scenery or beauty. It needs investment, jobs and equitable distribution of social benefits.