A Rural Housing Crisis
The Scots Magazine|July 2024
Across Scotland, locals are being priced out and crowded out - but communities are now working hard to address the issue
MORAG LINDSAY
A Rural Housing Crisis

IT'S the stuff of daytime TV dreams - trading traffic fumes and street lamps for some Scottish seaside or hillside, where the neighbours know your name and the kids still grow up free-range.

Rural living looks alluring when it's viewed through the rosy prism of the property shows.

Ask the residents of rural Scotland, though, and they might well paint a different picture.

Because no one's bragging about living in a borrowed caravan in a farmer's field.

There's nothing idyllic about kipping on acquaintances' sofas because every spare room in your village is in a second home or Airbnb.

And it's no fun trying to do all the things you should be doing in your 20s and 30s when you're stuck at home with your parents - or trying to do all the things you should be doing in your 50s and 60s when your grown-up children still haven't flown the nest.

For a lot of Scots, that's closer to the reality.

And as the Scottish Government declares a national housing emergency, rural-dwellers might be forgiven for asking, "What took you so long?"

Across large sweeps of Scotland, there are simply far too few homes to go round - and too many that are priced beyond the typical worker's pocket.

In a lot of ways it was ever thus. Rural housing is different. Homes tend to be bigger. They're more likely to be detached, and less likely to be starter flats or social housing.

However second homes and the rise of online booking platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com have exacerbated the situation, driving up prices and removing homes that might once have housed teachers, nurses or engineers.

That leaves many locals in cramped or substandard accommodation- and others leaving altogether.

It's why Argyll and Bute declared its own housing emergency last summer - the first Scottish local authority to do so. But the problems are mirrored across the country.

Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE SCOTS MAGAZINESe alt
Unst To Orbit
The Scots Magazine

Unst To Orbit

Shetland's spaceport is set to take Europe by storm, launching rockets to the stratosphere

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
Just Passing Through
The Scots Magazine

Just Passing Through

A tale of the unexpected unfolds at dawn in a Stirlingshire glen as a rare, shy creature slips out of the shadows

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
Brigadoon Revisited
The Scots Magazine

Brigadoon Revisited

An affectionate look back at the low budget \"synthetic Scotch\" movie that still sparkles in the mist, 70 years on

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
A Brand New Opening
The Scots Magazine

A Brand New Opening

The Scots Magazine revisits the Old Course in St Andrews almost 70 years on and celebrates recent progress in welcoming women

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
Kenmore's Crossroads
The Scots Magazine

Kenmore's Crossroads

Fury over a luxury redevelopment at the Perthshire village made news headlines around the world but is the tide of popular opinion turning?

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2024
Seeing Double!
The Scots Magazine

Seeing Double!

Sam Heughan's Outlander body double, lain Wilkie, shares stories about his experiences on and off screen

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
The Story & The Song
The Scots Magazine

The Story & The Song

With a soundtrack to a Shetland tale, author and musician Malachy Tallack blends his artistic passions in his latest venture

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
A Rebirth From The Earth
The Scots Magazine

A Rebirth From The Earth

Erland Cooper's intriguing project has given nature and two determined fans a hand in shaping and bringing his new album to light

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
Nip Of Champions
The Scots Magazine

Nip Of Champions

Whisky has long been associated with moments of triumph, including a recent example of clever sporting motivation

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
The Waterside Hotel
The Scots Magazine

The Waterside Hotel

A spectacular spot on the stunning Ayrshire coast

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024