Island Populations

Information for all Scotland 's Inhabited Islands which meet the Census data criteria can be found on the GROS website Scotland's Census 2001 - Statistics For Inhabited Islands . Maps detailing all the islands and their locations are also available.

Western Isles

The direct link to the detailed map for the Western Isles is Scottish Inhabited Islands - Map 2 .

Consideration of the change in resident population from 1981 to 2001 in terms of island group areas illustrates the severity of population change in particular locations in the Western Isles. The most significant population decrease between 1981 and 1991 was in Harris (these figures include the island of Scalpay ) representing a fall in population of 11%. Whilst Harris experienced the same rate of decline between 1991 and 2001, Barra and Vatersay also saw a decline of 11% over the same time period whilst figures for South Uist (which includes the island of Eriskay ) report the highest drop in population of 15%. Island areas are shown on the map below.

Western Isles Island Area - Resident Population Change 1981 to 2001

Area	1991 Total	Change 81-91	%	2001 Total	Change 91-01	%
Lewis	20,159	-561	-3	18,489	-1,670	-8
Harris	2,222	-267	-11	1,984	-238	-11
North Uist	1,815	+12	+1	1,657	-158	-9
Benbecula	1,803	-84	-4	1,249	-554	-31
South Uist	2,285	-147	-6	1,951	-334	-15
Barra & Vatersay	1,316	-55	-4	1,172	-144	-11
Totals	29,600	-1,102	-	26,502	3,098	-10

(Source: General Register Office for Scotland )

Note: Areas are amalgamation of other geographies including other islands. These are not the same as single inhabited islands as defined by the GROS and detailed in the large Table below.

Population by Island Areas

Area	1951	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001
Lewis	23,731	21,937	20,326	20,720	20,159	18,489
Harris	3,991	3,285	2,879	2,489	2,222	1,984
North Uist	2,221	1,925	1,726	1,803	1,815	1,657
Benbecula	924	1,358	1,355	1,887	1,803	1,249
South Uist	2,840	2,637	2,517	2,432	2,285	1,951
Barra & Vatersay	1,884	1,467	1,088	1,371	1,316	1,172
Total	35,591	32,609	29,891	30,702	29,600	26,502

(Source: General Register Office for Scotland )

Note: Figures for 1951 to 1981 are ' persons present ' whilst 1981 and 1991 and 2001 are ' persons resident '.

 

 Population of Inhabited Islands 1951 to 2001*

Inhabited Islands	1951	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001	%Change 51-01	%Change 91- 01
Lewis	23,344	21,614	20,047	21,253	19,634	18,256	-22	-7
Bernera	384	317	276	292	267	233	-39	-13
Flannan Islands	3	3	3	0	0	U	U	U
Harris	3,121	2,493	2,175	2,137	1,866	1,662	-47	-11
Berneray	246	201	131	134	140	136	-45	-3
Ensay	2	2	2	0	0	U	U	U
Killegray	0	0	2	0	0	U	U	U
Pabbay	2	2	4	0	0	U	U	U
St Kilda	0	65	65	46	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Scalpay	541	470	483	461	388	322	-40	-17
Scarp	74	46	12	2	0	U	U	U
Taransay	5	5	5	0	0	U	U	U
North Uist	1,890	1,620	1,469	1,454	1,386	1,271	-33	-8
Baleshare	75	59	64	66	52	49	-35	-6
Boreray	7	5	0	0	0	U	U	U
Grimsay	236	239	193	206	211	201	-15	-5
Kirkibost	6	0	0	0	0	U	U	U
Leiravay	5	2	0	0	0	U	U	U
Vallay	2	0	0	0	0	U	U	U
South Uist	2,462	2,376	2,281	2,223	2,064	1,818	-26	-12
Benbecula	924	1,358	1,355	1,988	1,883	1,249	+35	-34
Eilean na Cille	4	5	4	0	0	U	U	U
Eriskay	330	231	219	219	173	133	-60	-23
Flodday	17	14	9	9	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Grimsay	22	13	4	12	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Sunamul	5	0	0	0	0	U	U	U
Barra	1,728	1,369	1,005	1,232	1,212	1,078	-38	-11
Berneray	5	3	6	0	0	U	U	U
Vatersay	151	95	77	108	70	94	-38	+34

* Figures for 1951-1991 are ' persons present ' . Figures for 2001 are ' persons resident ' .

N/A - Comparable figures not available U - Uninhabited

(Source: General Register Office for Scotland)

The overall trend in population decline seen at the Western Isles level is reflected across individual islands. Islands such as Eriskay, Harris and Berneray have seen a particularly marked decline in population in the last 50 years. On Benebcula changes in military presence have had a considerable impact on the island's population in recent history. In the last 10 years the trend of decline has continued with one notable exception, the island of Vatersay which has seen a population increase of 34% between 1991 and 2001. In actual numbers this amounts to an increase in 24 people.

Note on Island Definitions

Based on the table above and shown in the map, there are 13 islands in the Western Isles, which had persons resident in 2001. However for the purposes of Census analysis (SCROL etc) only 11 of these are considered to be ' Inhabited Islands ' . Firstly, for Census purposes Lewis and Harris are treated as one island, which is geographically correct. They have been separated in the above table and elsewhere in the factfile to achieve more appropriate local area analysis. Culturally, socially and environmentally, they are often considered by islanders to be as separate as if they were two different landmasses. Secondly, for reasons of confidentiality the Census operates minimum threshold criteria on the smallest level of geography for which information is available. The island of Baleshare falls just below this threshold and therefore information specific to the island cannot be released as part of the Census. Instead the data is amalgamated with figures for North Uist.