Letter: Protecting schools a must in rural areas

We welcomed Lesley Riddoch's article (Perspective, 20 June) on rural schools closures since it highlights a number of issues that are critical for future populations in rural Scotland.

We are delighted that education secretary Mike Russell has called a moratorium on rural school closures.

Our recent research into community land ownership highlights how it is contributing to the reversal of depopulation as well as encouraging migration into remote areas. Both of these lead to larger school rolls and help schools to stay open.

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Lesley Riddoch rightly points out that rural Scotland lack teenagers and twenty- somethings.

Our study shows that community land ownership is also playing an important role in addressing this issue by attracting new business, which in turn enhances local employment opportunities.

Our community land ownership research is part of a three-phase investigation in which Scottish Agricultural College is exploring the effectiveness of different approaches to development in rural communities.

The next stage will look at the role of private landlords and a third will research development trusts supported directly by the public sector.

We hope its conclusions will shed further light on how a healthy future for rural Scotland can best be supported.

(Dr) Sarah Skerratt

Land Economy & Environment Research Group

Scottish Agricultural College

King's Buildings

Edinburgh

I read with interest Lesley Riddoch's article on rural schools, "Life in the sticks is good." Really?

Not only is there pressure on the young and parents with children, but the whole population is under pressure from living costs and premiums generated by rurality. This is not solely an education issue.

Worryingly, in areas such as Rannoch and Tummel where we have been campaigning for some years for restoration of adequate emergency healthcare, we are at the sharp end of what she describes as "many rural councils quietly planning for a mass clear out or for DIY rural communities virtually devoid of publicly- provided local services".

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In our instance, it is NHS Tayside which we believe is pushing a policy that will soon extend to all other remote and rural areas of Scotland unless contested.

Anecdotally, there is evidence of residents moving back to cities and towns in search of adequate cover.

Despite the official position and the drive to promote care in the community, recent advice from a GP has suggested the area is not covered adequately to sustain the continued residence of the elderly requiring such care. They are at risk.

The buzz word is "resilience" - a feature which has previously existed in rural communities, but is now at risk due to the erosion of the services we had. Is it impossible for government at local and national levels to exercise an overall budgeting attitude to sustain the rural community?

Alex Grosset

Tighe na Coille

Loch Rannoch

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