CUOTAS POR USO MERCADOS DE EL ENTREGO Y SOTRONDIO

This section assesses the motivations and experiences of stayers through our survey, interviews with Lews Castle College students and a focus group in Harris.

7.2.1 Stayers: decisions about staying

The majority (60%) of stayers have considered leaving at some stage. Around a third (18%) of these have not made up their minds about whether to leave or stay. One in fourteen stayers (7%) see themselves leaving within the next five years. Motivations to stay appear closely related to family and quality of life. In the survey, the most influential factors in helping individuals in their decision to stay were:

| Being able to be close to family; | A safe environment;

| Natural environment; and | A sense of community.

These were significant issues in the focus groups although the Lews Castle College students also highlighted that the cost of moving and living away was a significant factor in their decision to stay and study at the College.

7.2.2

Stayers: work and career

In our survey, among those who were or are considering leaving, the ability to obtain suitable work was clearly the most influential factor. A constant theme from the focus groups was that the choice of work as well as the pay was poor. Participants in our focus groups in Lewis and Harris highlighted that there was an array of poorly paid jobs available locally.

Progression in terms of skills was also highlighted with some skills easier to train for on the island than others. Stayers in Harris had positive attitudes to entrepreneurialism but none expressed a desire to start their own business. They (and people they knew) had identified opportunities for businesses but had not been enable to get these off the ground. Likewise one former Lews Castle College Student would consider starting their own business but did not know how to do this. There is also a perception among some stayers that they are losing out to those who left the Islands to study. One former Lews Castle student with a good degree had applied for jobs but felt that students with the same qualifications from a mainland university had been favoured for the post. She is now working in lower level jobs.

7.2.3

Stayers: views on transport

Getting people and goods on and off island was seen generally as expensive and difficult. One focus group participant highlighted that a family holiday to Cyprus may cost £400 but the flights to Glasgow for four people could cost £600.

Participants criticised the price of petrol as many Outer Hebrides residents have no option but to drive most places. This is identified as a barrier to pursuing job opportunities. Jones (1992) highlighted that the cost of accessing transport in remote areas may exclude less affluent individuals from accessing the widest range of employment opportunities.

They also highlighted that companies can charge what they want in terms of delivery for internet shopping. But participants praised the local haulage company who they described as having really good standards and being very helpful and reasonable. The issue of restricted Sunday transport was contentious. However most stayers in the focus groups broadly support the current situation. They identified that people can get off the Islands on Sunday if they really want to. Also one participant believed that if there are no transport services on Sunday in the Northern Isles then tourists would have to stay a day longer, although there was no evidence of this happening in practice.

Qualitative feedback from stayers in the survey illustrated that there are widely opposing viewpoints with several supporting a Sunday ferry as allowing weekend visits to family and friends on the mainland without affecting work.

7.2.4

Stayers: views on housing

The cost of housing was a significant issue among stayers with Harris focus group participants highlighting the perception that:

Houses appear to be going for £200,000 and they are only shells of houses.

Even for those with land, respondents highlighted that contractors are charging a lot of money for new builds.

Another stayer identified the difficulty of getting onto the housing ladder:

‘A lot of people my age want to buy flats/houses rather than renting - that way they have security in the place they were born and brought up - this is made too difficult and unaffordable due to incomers boosting up the house prices. Locals get fed up with this and move to the mainland to buy a home there.’

7.2.5

Stayers: views on service quality

Stayers highlighted that local shopping provision is limited in range and quality but Internet shopping has made life much easier. However trips to the mainland were still seen as necessary for a ‘proper shopping’ experience.

Stayers in Stornoway saw An Lanntair as a welcome addition to the town. Some stayer responses in the survey identified the local pubs as the only place to go for socialising. Facilities for young people were seen as poor in Harris.

Stayers in areas peripheral to Stornoway highlighted what they saw as an unevenness in public service investment – such as the lack of facilities compared to Stornoway or the lack of investment compared to Stornoway.

7.2.6

Stayers: views on community life

Several stayers voiced negative perceptions of local attitudes. Some respondents to our survey had a desire to move away because they wanted less judgement of personal values and that they were fed up of the attitudes. However there were strongly contrasting views on the community from very positive to very negative. Positive features included people looking out for their neighbours and communities rallying round during illness or bereavement.

Research elsewhere supports this sharply contrasting viewpoint. Our research supports the view that those who stay are more likely to accept these aspects of community life in the Outer Hebrides and learn to live with them. However there is a clear age component to these attitudes with younger adults more likely to become frustrated with some aspects of community life.