outer heberdies

• outer Hebrides are a remotes group of islands off the far north-west coast of scotland
• they have experienced a 50% decline in population scince 1901
• one of the main reasons for population decline is because people move to the mainland in search of better paid jobs
• the current population is 27000
• social changed due to decline include

  • migration of young people lead to an increasingly ageing population
  • ageing population requires care which will have social and economic impacts
  • fewer people of working age results in a further decline in farming and fishing however it does increase the demand for carers
  • fewer children result in school closures
• Economic changes due to the decline include

  
  

  . maintaining ferries and other services being costly - some post offices have to close

  . traditional fishing for prawn and lobsters have declined with few boats left

  . shellfish production has increased mostly involving foreign boats

  . tourism has become an important economic activity but the infrastructure is struggling to cope with the large number of visitors