Coigach house prices are £70,000 higher than Highland average
THE average house price in Coigach is £70,000 higher than the Highland average according to a new report that reveals shocking statistics as part of a bid to tackle “chronic depopulation” in rural areas.
The traditional crofting and fishing community spans the likes of Achiltibuie, Achnahaird and iconic Stac Pollaidh in the north-west Highlands.
A new report drawing on local evidence and independent analysis, from the NorthWest 2045 network, outlines how current public service models and centralised policymaking structures are shaping the challenges facing residents of Coigach and north-west Sutherland.
Using statistics from 2023, the report shows that the average house price in Coigach is £302,000, with the Highland average being £228,000. It cites statistics showing that only 24 per cent of Coigach households were able to afford the average house price.
As of 2023, over a quarter of dwellings in Coigach were classed as vacant or second homes - compared to a Highland-wide figure of six per cent.
“Living here means being adaptable and resilient — that’s just part of life in this part of the world,” said Joseph Peach, the NW2045 co-ordinator who prepared the report. “But when it becomes harder to find childcare, access healthcare, or afford to live in the place you grew up, the sustainability of our communities is put at real risk. That’s why this work is so urgent.”
The most recent census revealed population levels falling to historic lows, with the area’s population density now being just 1.6 people per square kilometre — lower than Lapland. Likewise, school pupil numbers in the Coigach and north-west Sutherland catchment area slumped by 35 per cent between 2009 and 2023.
As well as noting the challenges the area faces, the report calls for five changes to how rural policy is developed. They are:
• Repopulation becoming a central consideration in all policy design and implementation relating to the area, rather than an isolated objective
• Reforming how land use, housing and childcare strategies are developed, by ensuring these national policies account for the realities of rural mainland areas
• Creating mechanisms for long-term collaboration between national policymakers and local expertise
• Elevating rural lived experience as a form of expertise in national planning and treating community insight as an essential source of evidence
• Reconsidering how extremely rural mainland areas are treated in national policy, as they face many of the same challenges as island communities
The report, funded by the Scottish’s Government’s Addressing Depopulation Fund and the Community Regeneration Fund, states that “many residents struggle to access basic services like childcare, healthcare, housing and education,” making it harder for young people to remain in the area and for families or workers to move in. It said: “These issues are beyond redress by local action alone. [We are facing] chronic depopulation.”
BiGGAR Economics, who undertook analysis for the report, said: “Coigach and north-west Sutherland are facing an existential crisis, but the situation is not irreversible. The area has natural strengths and existing competitive advantages that could provide the basis for renewal. Doing this will require concerted national action.”
CEO of Coigach Community Development Company, Laura Hamlet added: “I’ve been involved with the NW2045 project from the beginning, so it’s great to see it come together. What’s so great about the report is that it’s written in plain language that is accessible to everyone — that both ordinary people and policy-makers can understand. I hope this report is what we need to take action on depopulation.”
MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Maree Todd said: “From challenges in staffing essential public services to the closure or mothballing of childcare and education settings due to a lack of families, the impact of a declining and ageing population is being felt across my constituency. As the NW2045 report rightly states, local knowledge is key — and if we are to tackle depopulation, we must listen to and empower those who know their communities best.”
Read the full report on: https://tinyurl.com/27jur44k
