New township plan for Scottish island could 'beat climate change and housing shortages'

A new township has been proposed for higher ground on a Scottish island to meet the twin challenges of housing shortages and climate change with rising sea levels are expected to wipe out large numbers of homes within three generations.

Residents of Barra in the Western Isles believe that creating a new township in the largely untapped interior of the island could protect its future and attract more residents.

The idea was included in a recent consultant’s report on island life, its challenges and opportunities.

The Barra Airport sands at Traigh Mhor. Sea levels are expected to rise an estimated one metre by 2100 and eight metres by 2275. PIC: Creative Commons. | CC

Around 1,200 people permanently live on Barra, where housing shortages remain an ongoing issue for residents and those wishing to relocate there full-time to live and work.

Meanwhile, sea levels could increase by up to one metre by the end of the century with coastline at Barra and adjoining Vatersay expected to retreat an average of 23 metres over the period. Sea level rises of up to eight metres are predicted in the Western Isles by 2275. These would “would wipe out a significant amount of land of Barra and remove much of the housing stock,” the report said. Dr Cait Murray-Green, CEO of Strategic Scientific Consulting Ltd, author of the report said: “It is is not a surprise that the community are looking at other options and what could they do. “

“The suggestion for a new township for Barra has come from the community who are looking at the double-pronged problem of ‘what do we do if our houses start to flood when we haven’t got enough housing to encourage people to build their lives here’.”

Third Party

Barra is one of six islands selected by the Scottish Government to become carbon neutral by 2040 - five years earlier than the national target.

It has been predicted average temperatures on Barra and Vatersay could rise by 4.7 degrees Celsius by 2100. The impact of rising water levels is coupled with typically wetter winters, drier summers and an increased intensity of storms. The forecast has sharpened minds on Barra over its future sustainability with a site to the north of the island at Gleann Dorcha suggested as a possible site for a new township given a nearby access track to the reservoir at Loch an Duin. Euan Scott, project officer at Coimhearsnachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh - Barra and Vatersay Community Ltd - said there were several “weak points” across the island that were particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change, rising sea levels and increased extreme weather events.

He said: “When you look at Vatersay, it is actually two different islands but made one by a tombola. If that area of sand disappears, or is relocated, you could end up with Vatersay split in half .

“The same is true of Traigh Mhor where the airport is. If that is breached as a result of rising sea levels and extreme weather events, you have got Eoligarry at the north end of the island becoming a separate island.” He said it had been historically difficult to find new housing sites in Barra and Vatersay given much of it is under crofting tenure.

The islands are now largely owned by the Scottish Government after the former Chief of Clan MacNeil handed over 3,600 acres in 2004.

A further abandoned township to the west of the Vatersay Causeway was possibly of interest for redevelopment, Mr Scott added.

Mr Scott said traditionally housing sites were selected given access to utilities , such as electricity supply.

However, he added: “If we are going to solve the climate challenge, particularly on a carbon neutral island, we need to start devising things from a different perspective, configuring them differently.

“That extends to behaviour as well. We have to change the way we do things.”

He said climate change and depopulation formed a “double-edged sword” for island communities such as Barra.

Mr Scott added: “It is good for the kids to get away and experience some of the wider world but in order to maintain the population we need them to come back . On that front, we have to be able to create decent employment opportunities, a decent wage and decent housing.

“The economic base of the island is too narrrow. We have an increasing dependency on tourism and that is also impacting on the housing stock.”

Around 180 dwellings out of 788 are “not fully utilized”, the report said, with the properties largely used as second homes or holiday properties. Attempts to attract staff, including teachers and GPs, have failed in the past given difficulties in finding accommodation.

According to the report, the public sector is the major employer on the island with fishery and tourism making up the rest of the jobs market. Both are affected by the weather, the report added.

Around 50 per cent of the island is of working age with “many open job positions” available. Mr Scott described the new township proposal as essentially a “concept idea” - but one that responded to the challenges facing the community.

It comes as the first new village in Skye for 100 years takes shape. The first 17 properties in Kilbeg in Sleat have been built with it expected it will grow to 100 homes in time.

The houses have been built near Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Scotland's National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, with an expectation Kilbeg will attract Gaelic speakers, though the development is open to anyone who wants to live or work in the area.

Dr Murray-Green said the Kilbeg model could inform any development in Barra. She said:” If you look at the timescales on that, planning permission was granted almost 10 years ago. 

“You have got a population in Barra that is 60 per cent Gaelic speaking so having an ability to hold on to that group of people and to strengthen that culture, as well as that community, is very important.

"Whether or not it is something that is able to move forward rapidly or even at a timescale which will fit with seawater rise or the ability to stem the flow of migration , well that lends itself to getting people in the right room and get people who are making the decisions and being able to provide funding and grant permissions together. "If you look at basically the same idea of what is happening on Skye, it seems to take a long time. But maybe doing this a second time, a third time, maybe there are ways of speeding things up along the way.”