Growing Scotland's Islands: can the National Islands Plan stimulate a population turnaround?

《国家岛屿计划》（苏格兰政府2019年）的一项关键目标是增加苏格兰岛屿的人口水平，确保健康、均衡的人口状况，解决长期存在的人口下降和人口老龄化问题。一些岛屿和岛屿地方当局已经启动了旨在吸引返回的移民和工作年龄的新移民到岛屿社区的举措，这将是实现人口增长目标的关键（阿盖尔和布特理事会，2020年；BBC新闻2020年）。另一个关键问题是，从长远来看，如何留住这些岛民，但通常很少受到关注。Covid-19还显示了在孤岛上生活和远程工作的可能性。这种所谓的“灾难中产阶级化”可能会给岛屿经济带来压力（Ibbetson, 2020; Weeden, 2020），同时为重新人口提供可能性。英国脱欧为修订影响岛屿社区的政策提供了机会，但在资金需求相互竞争的情况下，也增加了政策目标能否实现的不确定性。基于以往的研究成果，例如，对农村回归移民的研究，在不同生命历程阶段向农村地区迁移的研究，以及由合作伙伴领导的正在进行的研究，即岛屿复兴项目（岛屿复兴，2019）和国家岛屿计划调查，成功的学生将在本次博士研究中对工作年龄，移民岛民（无论是新的还是返回的）进行深入研究。将探讨岛民移居岛屿社区的动机、岛屿生活的亲身经历和未来计划，包括居住和就业愿望。这项研究将填补关于边远和岛屿社区人口、就业和生活方式趋势的文献空白。在复原力和流动性理论的框架下，它将为决策者和其他寻求影响偏远和岛屿社区人口命运的人提供见解和相关证据

A key goal of the National Islands Plan (Scottish Government 2019) is to increase population levels in the Scottish islands and to ensure a healthy, balanced population profile, addressing longstanding issues of population decline and an ageing population. Several islands and island local authorities have launched initiatives aimed at attracting return migrants and newcomers of working age to island communities, which will be key to achieving the goal of increasing population (Argyll and Bute Council, 2020; BBC News 2020). Also key, but typically given less attention, will be the retention of these islanders in the longer term. Covid-19 has also shown the potential to live on islands whilst working remote. This so-called 'disaster gentrification' may strain island economies (Ibbetson, 2020; Weeden, 2020) whilst providing possibilities for repopulation. Brexit offers opportunities for revisions to policies impacting island communities but also raises uncertainties around the deliverability of policy objectives in the face of competing demands on funding. Building on the findings of previous research, for example, studies of rural return migration, in-migration to rural areas at different life course stages, and ongoing research led by the Collaborative Partner, namely the Islands Revival project (Islands Revival, 2019) and the National Islands Plan Survey, the successful student will, for this PhD research, undertake an in-depth study of working age, in-migrant islanders (whether new or returning). Islanders' motivations for moving to an island community, lived experiences of island life and future plans, including residential and employment aspirations, will be explored. The study will fill a gap in the literature regarding population, employment and lifestyle trends in remote and island communities. Framed by theories of resilience and mobilities, it will provide insights and evidence of relevance to policy makers and others seeking to influence the demographic fortunes of remote and island communities