Western Isles Council, Independent with only 6 SNP out of 29 councillors, has no basis for the above claim.
The facts about depopulation in Scotland in the last 20 years:
First, Western Isles has seen little de-population, is no worse than mainland Dumfries and Galloway and is better than the largely mainland Argyll, Inverclyde or North Ayrshire.
Second, Western Isles benefits from the most inclusive, generously subsidised and up-to-date ferry service in the comparable world.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
For further economic context, according to Highlands and Islands Enterprise in 2020:
‘Na h-Eileanan an Iar is considered to be the most vulnerable local authority in Scotland to Brexit.’
Source https://www.hie.co.uk/media/10594/na-h-eileanan-an-iar-area-profile-2020.pdf
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Well Lizzie Roberts is the News Editor for the Scotland edition of the Times, Mike Merrit is a freelancer – https://archive.ph/qy7iK
The opening pitch of “ferries crisis has contributed to the “alarming” depopulation of the Outer Hebrides”, has by para 2 extended the “ferries crisis” back to 2011 and the previous census, and defined “alarming” at an utterly devastating 0.55% per annum.
Para 3 makes no attempt to conclude some of ” those aged 65 and above, 26.6 per cent” who may not have survived let alone with Covid lurking, and by para 5 the obligatory “freedom of information request” fairy puts in an appearance with the totally disconnected issue of ALL CalMac cancelled sailings between September 2018 and April 2023 (Presumably one of ACH-him’s dumped adventures in self promotion).
The only possible conclusion to this ill stitched quilt of disassociated facts is that the Times are going after both readers of Martin Williams’ tosh in the Herald….
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The legacy of the union and long term English rule in the Highlands and Islands left a lot to be desired.
This book is excellent, though it seems to be quite expensive to by online, but is available via Open library. Really is worth a read, good description of the waste of money for faux development at the hands of the English government. They even deliberately sabotaged investment in industry in favour of similar in England.
Of course, energy comes up as a cheap at the price bonus, but that was all hushed, I wonder why.
Written in 1983.
I think free to read if you sign up to OL?
https://openlibrary.org/books/OL20346794M/Highland_experiment
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