The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily, finishing on 28 February, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson
By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS
Based on the 2011 census results (above), around a quarter of Arran’s 4 600 population – 1 200 – were born in England. In the south-east of the island as many as 1 in 2 were born in England.
This is predominantly an older, retired and middle-class population, often living in a second home on the island for only parts of the year, mostly voting Conservative and against Scottish independence, with a heightened sense of entitlement on health and transport services.
By definition, they will have many off-island connections including relatives and travel frequently to the mainland. They will have played a major part in the heightened media coverage and criticism of the CalMac ferry service to the island.
Any area experiencing such a flood of affluent migrants will, unavoidably, experience increased demand for housing and an increase in prices. Young and less well-paid locals, born on the island, will struggle to get a first home and may be forced off-island.
One obvious strategy for local government is to increase the council tax for second-home owners. North Ayrshire Council which includes Arran, has just done so:
Disappointed Tory leader Cameron Inglis has voiced strong concerns North Ayrshire Council have agreed to implement a policy to charge a Council Tax premium on second homes. Following a motion by the SNP administration, a 100% premium will be added to the Council Tax bills of properties classed as second homes from April 1.
Council tax legislation states that a property is considered a second home if it is not someone’s sole or main residence but has been furnished and lived in for 25 days or more during the previous 12 months. The decision to move ahead with the policy was made at a meeting of North Ayrshire Council on Wednesday and brings North Ayrshire into line with almost all other Scottish local authorities.
The Conservative group’s comments have generated the STV header:
Fears 100% council tax premium on second homes could force people to leave islands The North Ayrshire Scottish Conservative Group warned that tourism and businesses will fail as people sell their houses and leave the islands.
…..to live in their main home?
Well, good?
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Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Although we are regularly called racist bigots who hate the English (untrue) for commenting on this growing problem, it is something we have to address.
I reckon if people can afford a second home, as opposed to those who want a second property (not developers with a portfolio I hasten to add) for investment, they are well able to pay extra costs towards for this undeniable luxury, given there are so many in Scotland who have no chance of ever being able to buy simply because having to rent a home takes such a very large proportion of their income. Grabbing a second property in Scotland is obviously too easy for some. It’s time to make people consider if they can actually afford to buy a second home while giving preferences somehow to folk looking to be part of a community and live permanently there. Pretty complex problem we have right there.
Council houses would be part of the answer to our so called housing emergency.
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John on your Fund Raiser you will already have realised that most supporters like muself have limited means at their disposal so unless you have a wealthy benefactor, somebody in the Private health sector or perhaps someone with non-dom status might I suggest you extend the deadline which I’m sure will bring it somewhere near your target.
Robbo
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Thanks, yes, did wonder if there would be one out there, but no.
Also, sobering fact – less than one percent of those seeing my stuff have contributed.
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I remember a Coal Board advert in the 1970’s/80’s which stated :
”Come home to a real fire !”
This had a decidedly negative slant in Wales where there was , at the time , a campaign of burning down Second Homes by Welsh activists – mostly owned by English incomers !
The problem has only worsened over the decades with richer incomers ( particularly from the overpriced South East of England ) buying up property , denying locals a home , and increasing depopulation in rural areas .
I am not advocating a similar response as was taken by some in Wales but even a doubling of Council Tax for Second Homes at a time of national crisis in housing , especially in rural areas , seems a less than satisfactory solution .
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You’re probably thinking of the short skit on Not The Nine O’Clock News – “Come home to a real fire – buy a cottage in Wales”.
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Keep access to donate an option all the time. People will keep on donating every month or when they are able. Organise a monthly D/D contribution. Or just keep it open.
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That would be a good option to have a monthly contribution in addition to a yearly or whenever, main fund raiser.
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Thanks
No one has made a monthly DD but several did by mistake, I guess, then withdrew it.
John
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Thanks for this. I live on Arran – not born & bred, but I’ve lived here 12 years and I’m beginning to despair at the number of English accents in our local Co-op. I know this is going to sound reminiscent of the feelings expressed by those English folk complaining at Brexit time about Poles etc. – but I really do feel like I’m very much in the minority. The house next door just got sold and yes, the new folk are English. There’s another just a few yards away, owned by (yes another) English couple who live in Edinburgh and frankly I don’t know why they had it built as it spends about 49 weeks a year in total darkness. The next village along is in darkness most of the winter. Don’t get me wrong – there are those English (some of whom are good friends), have lived here for decades, and support Scottish independence, but most are vociferously anti-Indy and dutifully go out and vote Tory. I overhear their discussions, and it’s clear they moved here because a) it’s very white and b) we have better public services – though that doesn’t stop them complaining about the damned boats and “our taxes”. It’s quite depressing and apart from doubling (or even better – trebling) the council tax on second homes, I just don’t know what we can do about it. If they want to move here, fair enough, but I wish they’d leave their toxic politics in the south where it belongs. I’m thinking of moving back to Glasgow. To borrow an expression used in Wales about Pembrokeshire, the islands have become “Little England Beyond Scotland”.
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From Registers of Scotland report on ” Residential property sales in Scottish Islands regions”…….https://www.ros.gov.uk/data-and-statistics/house-price-statistics/residential-property-sales-in-scottish-island-regions….
“Cash and mortgage sales**
Looking at differences in the number of cash and mortgage sales, across mainland Scotland 63% of residential sales were funded with a mortgage in 2023 and 37% were cash sales. In the Scottish Island regions, the percentage of cash sales is higher, with 57% cash sales and 43% with a mortgage. The percentage cash sales for each island region, ranging from 39% in Shetland – Mainland and connected to 75% in Arran, Bute and the Cumbraes.
Change in prices in last 5 years
Median prices across the island regions have increased by 30% from £140,000 in 2018 to £182,000 in 2023. This compares with an increase of 23% over the same period in mainland Scotland, from £151,000 to £185,000.”
With Arran, Bute and the Cumbraes having the highest percentage of cash sales at 75% that would mean that people from whatever part of the UK have “disposable income” and can afford a “second home”or are selling up to retire to their favourite Scottish Island destination, though, some still feel the need to moan about our SNP Scottish Government and subsidised world class ferry service.
JB
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https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2025/02/18/shocking-75-of-house-purchases-in-arran-are-by-cash-to-deny-locals-homes-and-push-them-off-island/
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Sorry link didn’t look correct……https://www.ros.gov.uk/data-and-statistics/house-price-statistics/residential-property-sales-in-scottish-island-regions
JB
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John
I usually enjoy the way you draw attention to the unionist bias in so much reporting about Scotland, but I have serious reservation about this particular blog post.
I strongly support the imposition of higher rates of council tax on second homes in Scotland; in fact, I would happily see council taxes on second homes raised to a level that would encourage many of their owners to sell, perhaps putting downward pressure on local house prices as a result. What I don’t get, though, is the relevance of where those second homeowners were born. Would you think house prices being out of the reach of young people because of the local prevalence of second homes would be acceptable so long as the owners of those second homes were born in Scotland?
Although I‘ve been living in Scotland for more than 50 years, I am an English Scot. I was born in England and perhaps it is that, in this context, that makes me rather queasy at what seemed like more than a hint of xenophobia; so, I’ve waited a few days before replying in case I was over-reacting, but having carefully re-read what you wrote, I really don’t feel any more comfortable with it (nor with one or two of the published comments it prompted.)
I’m sure you are aware that many native Scots vote Conservative and against Scottish independence; no doubt some have a heightened sense of entitlement on health and transport services. I have never voted Conservative and have supported Scottish independence since well before 2014. Far from having a heightened sense of entitlement, I feel very fortunate to be able to call Scotland my home.
I hope that on reflection, you might regret having focused on the birthplace of second homeowners rather than on the effect of the number of second homes.
Best wishes
Roger Colkett
P.S. I think you should keep the fund raiser going indefinitely – you might even get the occasional price of a drink from me.
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