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STV News
5 days ago
- Business
- STV News
Immigration pushes Scotland's population past 5.5 million for first time
Immigration pushed Scotland's population past 5.5 million for the first time in 2023, according to figures. On Thursday, the National Records of Scotland (NRS) said the country's population was estimated to be 5,546,900 as of June 2024. Immigration has been the biggest driver of population growth in that time. The latest figures show that net international migration was 42,600 in the year up to June 2024, and migration between elsewhere in the UK and Scotland was 13,800. The NRS mid-2024 population report said: 'International immigration has fallen but remains historically high.' After factoring in deaths and other natural changes, the NRS said Scotland's population is up 40,900 (0.7%) people in a single year. Despite a growing population, deaths outnumbered births in all but one of Scotland's 32 council areas. 'In every council area, more people moved in than left in the latest figures,' Andrew White, head of population and migration statistics at NRS, said. 'Midlothian was the only council area to see more births than deaths in the year to June 2024. It is one of the fastest growing areas of Scotland alongside Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Lothian and West Lothian.' The five areas with declining populations are Argyll and Bute, Angus, Dundee, Na h-Eileanan Siar, and Dumfries and Galloway, which did not see enough people moving in to make up for the gap between deaths and births. Welcoming the report, Scottish equalities minister Kaukab Stewart said the figures demonstrate the continuing appeal of Scotland as an attractive country for people to live, work, and study in. 'We welcome people from around the world and other parts of the UK who want to build their lives here, and it is notable that more people have again moved to Scotland from the rest of the UK than have moved the other way,' she said. Stewart said the report shows that immigration continues to be 'crucial' to ensuring Scotland has a greater number of working age people to fill skills gaps, contribute to communities, and grow the economy. She said the Scottish Government will continue to press the UK Government to work towards the introduction of tailored migration routes for Scotland, including a Scottish Graduate Visa. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The National
5 days ago
- Business
- The National
Scotland's population reaches 5.5 million for the first time
New statistics released by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) show the number of people living in Scotland hit 5.5 million for the first time ever. The population grew by 40,900 (0.7%) as of mid-June 2024, with migration being the biggest growth driver as the number of deaths in all local authority areas bar Midlothian were greater than the number of births. READ MORE: Jet2 announces new flights from Scottish airport to Mediterranean island Welcoming the report, Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said: 'The latest figure demonstrates the continuing appeal of Scotland as an attractive country for people to live, work, study and settle in. 'We welcome people from around the world and other parts of the UK who want to build their lives here, and it is notable that more people have again moved to Scotland from the rest of the UK than have moved the other way. 'Scotland is a fantastic place to live and work, with policies not in place anywhere else in the UK like free tuition, free prescriptions and the Scottish Child Payment. And the majority of taxpayers in Scotland pay less income tax than elsewhere in the UK.' The NRS report also showed that the number of people in Scotland aged over 65 had increased by 4.3% since 2004, with those aged 0-15 decreasing by 2.2% in the same 20-year period. The largest cities saw the highest increase in population, with Glasgow taking the top spot at a growth rate of 1.8%. Only five council areas saw decreases – Argyll and Bute, Dundee City, Angus, Dumfries and Galloway and Na h-Eileanan Siar. 'However, this release also shows that our population growth continues to rely on positive net migration,' Stewart said. 'This shows just how crucial immigration is to ensuring Scotland has a greater proportion of working age people to fill skills gaps, sustain public services, contribute to communities, and grow the economy. READ MORE: Serious nuclear incident took place at Faslane naval base this year 'To enable us to address our demographic challenges, migration policies must be tailored to Scotland's distinct needs. "We will continue to press the UK Government to work with us on the introduction of tailored migration routes for Scotland, including a Scottish Graduate Visa, to help us retain capable people from around the world, and to deliver a Rural Visa Pilot tailored to the needs of our rural and island communities. 'Within our devolved powers we have launched Scotland's Migration Service, to help individuals and businesses navigate the immigration system, while our Addressing Depopulation Action Plan is supporting local initiatives to help communities facing population decline.'
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Singer issues rallying call for islanders to return home
He says the sight of dozens of abandoned homes and crofts littering the island, and a steady stream of people moving away and never coming back, is something that could be reversed if others experienced the same feeling of 'homecoming'. It's against the backdrop of predictions forecasting a further sharp decrease in the island population within two years. The most recent National Records of Scotland mid-year estimates from 2023 put the current population of the Western Isles at 26,030 - a decrease from the 27,684 recorded in the 2011 National Census. READ MORE: How HebCelt festival fights depopulation on Lewis and Harris Barra bucking population trends but faces future storm Highland depopulation revealed in new Census data Now he and his band The Tumbling Souls are to release a new single - Nowhere In A Hurry - that they hope will act as a clarion call for island folk to consider whether now is a good time to stay put or even think about going home. He said: 'Over Covid and afterwards, we had a surge of people coming on holiday and moving here, sometimes not for very long. "The theme of the song's chorus is really about people who are from the place staying here and protecting it. 'There's something of immense value in the people who were born and brought up here. "It's really difficult to put your finger on exactly what it is, but there's a personality, a spirit, that maybe we're at risk of losing. The islands are expecting to see a six per cent drop in population by 2028 (Image: NQ) 'The second verse is pretty literal, I was looking up at the stars and feeling completely insignificant. "Everything was silent and absolutely glorious, because the stars were so clear and incredible. A clear winter sky on Lewis puts me in my place. 'I had in mind the abandoned houses that we still see on the island, broken windows, overgrown with weeds, the former pride and joy of a family, the hub and heart of a wider family that maybe lived away. 'People who've been forgotten but preserved, treasure in forgotten photo albums.' Research published by NHS Western Isles last year projected the area to suffer a 6% population decrease by 2028 - one of the biggest population decreases in Scotland. Last December, a study by Biggar Economics also highlighted how 4.55% of homes in the Western Isles were long-term empty in 2022, compared to 1.70% in Scotland as a whole. Another music star, John Maher from The Buzzcocks, documented the phenomenon of abandoned buildings as a photographer in a series of acclaimed exhibitions and books highlighting the 'beauty and sadness' of forgotten structures. Willie Campbell, who was recently inducted into the HebCelt Festival Hall of Fame for his contribution to music and the community, left Lewis aged just 15 to pursue a career with hit indie band Astrid, living in Glasgow and touring internationally. But the vigours and temptation of life on the road, coupled with youth, resulted in him taking a break and going home, rediscovering his creativity, making a family and becoming a leading light in the island's rich songwriting community. He admitted: 'With the new track, Nowhere In A Hurry, in the first verse, I think I just sound a little bit weary and sad. I go through little bouts here and there of feeling really deflated, and then suddenly feel excited again because I'm in the middle of writing a new song. 'The chorus definitely gets a bit more specific. Lewis has always played a huge part in making me feel better about my life, that is, of course, after my teenage years, when I had zero interest in the culture and just desperately wanted to get away. 'I feel protective over it now, in a weird way, although I did leave for nearly 10 years. In short, it is a call for islanders to appreciate where they're from, and an invitation for others to return and settle here.' Nowhere In A Hurry is released on August 22 via Isle of Lewis based Wee Studio Records.
Scotsman
07-08-2025
- Scotsman
Revealed: Rarely-shown images of Scotland's rapid rail expansion
Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Rarely-shown images reflecting the rapid expansion of the railways which transformed Scotland at the turn of the last century have gone on show as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Trains made long-distance travel faster and more affordable, which is shown in the new exhibition by passengers seen thronging in stations and taking day trips to connect with Clyde steamers such as Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa - namesakes of CalMac's latest ferries. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Glasgow and South Western Railway's Steamers Programme of Popular Excursions 1907 included vessels such as Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa | Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland The photographs and posters, selected from the country's largest rail archive held by National Records of Scotland (NRS) also include advertisements for cheap holiday season tickets and the allure of the Highlands, complete with a stag's head, waterfall and tartan. The exhibition at General Register House at the east end of Princes Street also features some of Scotland's best-loved railway landmarks, such as the Forth and Tay bridges, city stations like Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central, and the ornate roof of Wemyss Bay on the Clyde coast. Late 19th century sketch of the interior of Glasgow Central Station and the Central Station Hotel | Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland It forms part of year-long events to mark the 200th anniversary of the modern railway in Britain - although the first lines in Scotland were laid a century earlier, such as between Cockenzie and Tranent in East Lothian. That coal-carrying wooden 'waggonway' is commemorated in the exhibition with two beautifully embossed journals by carpenter William Dickson, which he started in 1720. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Official ABC Tourist Guide to the Highlands of Scotland, 1907 | Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland But also featured are pamphlets protesting against railway expansion, such as by those who argued it would destroy the countryside - echoing some of today's HS2 opponents. Others feared the appeal of 'devious trains' to take people to play golf would distract them from more important matters at home, especially on Sundays. NRS outreach archivist Veronica Schreuder said: 'The Victorian era encompasses huge changes such as urbanisation and industrialisation, and also large changes in the way people moved for work or other travel.' Wemyss Bay Station in Inverclyde, c.1905 | Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland She said prior to the railways, 'it would be difficult for us to imagine the difficulties of movement - most people had very few options and if you were working class, perhaps you would never leave the place where you were born or worked. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'For the rich, it was dangerous, time-consuming and expensive, even for them. The new Tay Bridge, constructed by William Arrol & Co, which opened in 1887 | Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland 'But with the expansion of the railway, it meant people could move both for business but also for fun - the working classes could take a trip to the seaside and the rich might go to a hydropathic hotel or a Highland estate for shooting, fishing or relaxation.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Schreuder said opponents of the railways had various motivations. The interior of Waverley Station in Edinburgh, early 1920s | Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland She said: 'Some people believed you were sacrificing the beauty of the countryside for getting people quicker from A to B. Others were worried about safety, who saw trains as big, dirty, dangerous, loud machines over which we didn't have full control. 'Whilst large cities were welcoming the railway by the 1840s, Oban didn't receive it until 1880 because it was seen as a wild idea, but by the 1860s people were recognising they were missing out on a lot by not being reachable by train - such as for bringing in goods or tourists to spend money in your locality.'
Scotsman
06-08-2025
- Scotsman
New exhibition looks at how advent of rail travel boosted holidays, hotels and tourism in Edinburgh
The advent of the railway in the mid-1800s opened a new world of travel for a huge section of the population and meant a major boost for holidays, hotels and tourism. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Now a new exhibition at the National Records of Scotland (NRS) in Edinburgh marks 200 years of rail travel. "Scots on the Move: Railways and Tourism in Victorian Scotland" is free to visit in the Adam Dome at General Register House on Princes Street. Crowds of people in Waverley station. Picture: Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. | Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The exhibition - part of the Festival Fringe - looks at how steam trains revolutionised Scotland between 1837 and 1901. Items on display include old photos of Waverley station, as well as train tickets, timetables, posters, colourful tourist guides and private letters. Another view inside Waverley station. Picture: Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. | Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. Outreach archivist Veronica Schreuder said: "This exhibition draws on National Records of Scotland's vast Scottish railway archive – the largest in existence. 'These unique records transport visitors directly into the Victorian era, revealing how steam trains didn't just change how people travelled – they transformed Scottish society itself. The railways made it much easier for people to travel. Picture: Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. | Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "For us in the modern world, it's probably quite difficult to imagine how limited movement around the country was before the railway. People tended to stay where they were born or where they worked - it was too time-consuming, too expensive or in some cases too dangerous to travel far. "The railways completely opened that up. If workers had a half day they could maybe go to the seaside - so, in Edinburgh, to Portobello - and wealthier people might go to the Highlands for time on an estate. "The railway gave them the opportunity to see other places and reconnect with friends and family they didn't see very often." A map showing the Caledonian rail terminus at the West End. Picture: Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. | Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. She said Edinburgh and other cities benefited economically from the arrival of the new industry of tourism. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "There would be large influxes of people coming to see the modern Athens of the North, take in the typical tourist sites that people still want to see today, eat here, sleep in hotels and buy goods to take away with them." The North British Hotel, now The Balmoral, opened in 1902. Picture: Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. | Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. She said in 1849, about 1,500 people had made the journey from Duns to Edinburgh. "These were mainly merchants and farmers who couldn't escape the novelty of the railway. They had to come to Edinburgh because they suddenly had the opportunity to travel.' Youth groups took the chance to go on organised excursions to the seaside or to nearby towns or cities. And golf proved a big draw for train travellers too, she said. "The Braid Hills opened towards the end of the 19th century. And thousands of people were flocking that first summer to play the course." The Forth Bridge under construction around 1887. Picture: Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. | Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The railway also gave Edinburgh some of today's most familiar landmarks. The site which is now Waverley station was at first occupied by three different stations, which were brought together to form Waverley in around 1854. The iconic Forth Bridge opened in 1890. And Edinburgh's big station hotels - the North British (now the Balmoral) and the Caledonian - came along in 1902 and 1903. But there was originally resistance in some quarters to the whole idea of the railway. Ms Schreuder said: "Railway mania took hold in the 1840s, but somepeople were concerned about hat they saw as the desecration of the countryside. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'They argued once you start ploughing through fields and hills there's no going back. Part of the character of Scotland was its natrual beauty and did we want to ruin that for the sake of efficient travel? 'And there was also concern about safety - trains were seen as loud, dirty, quite frightening machines. 'Edinburgh and the cities were the first to benefit from the railway. Oban didn't get the railway until 1880 because people had genuine concerns about what railways might bring. It wasn't until the majority were saying it was a positive thing that it really did start to expand fully across the country." The exhibition runs weekdays 9:00-16:00 until 26 September in the Adam Dome, with late opening until 18:30 on 7 and 21 August. Entry is free and the exhibition is suitable for ages 12+. Ms Schreuder said: 'I hope visitors will come and visit us in the Adam Dome, a magnificent architectural gem and one of Edinburgh's best kept secrets, just across from Waverley station.'
