Funds to promote Scotland's Year of Islands Culture

Celebrations are to be held across the Scottish islands

More than £1.8m of public money has been awarded to aid the promotion of 2011 as Scotland's Year of Islands Culture.

Celebrations and events will be held across the Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland.

A large part of the money, £820,000, has been secured from the European Regional Development Fund.

The funding was announced by Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop during a visit to Lewis in the Western Isles.

The Convention of Highlands and Islands, which involves the Scottish government, agreed in 2008 to make 2011 Scotland's Year of Islands Culture.

According the last major census in 2001, Scotland's inhabited islands were home to 99,739 people.