Lochaber no more? Tackling depopulation in the Highlands

Lochaber's dramatic landscape draws thousands of visitors every year, but a decline in the number of people who live and work there has sparked concerns.

Highland Council has forecast that the population will fall by more than 5% by 2040, and it warns of a "drift of people away" from the area.

The number of people of working age has dropped while the older population has increased, according to Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Efforts are being made to encourage more local young people to stay - and to attract others from outside the area to move to Lochaber.

BBC Scotland News has spoken to a group of working age people who are bucking the trend, having moved to the region.

Ellie Moore grew up in north-east Scotland and moved to Fort William in 2022

Ellie Moore, who grew up in north-east Scotland, is among those who has moved to Lochaber.

She took up a ranger training course run by the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) and Nevis Landscape Partnership in 2022 after studying at university in Glasgow.

"I remember sitting in my bedroom in Great Western Road [in Glasgow], a really busy road in quite a built up area, dreaming about going out and climbing mountains," the 25-year-old said.

"When I think back to those chilly, noisy times spent in tenement flats I go: 'ah, I'm finally here'."

But she initially encountered difficulties finding somewhere to live.

"It is an incredibly touristy area, which in some ways is a really, really good thing but it certainly makes it hard finding a place to stay," she said.

But she believes the situation is improving, with short-term let licensing controls leading to increasing availability of rented properties.

She adds: "More affordable housing is needed and we are starting to see that popping up in places."

Graham Smyth moved to Fort William three years ago for work and the chance to be closer to some of Scotland's highest mountains

Graham Smyth, a project engineer at Fort William's Lochaber Smelter, is originally from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland.

When he moved to Scotland 15 years ago, he initially lived in Edinburgh but he was drawn to Lochaber by its landscape and wide range of outdoor activities, such as mountaineering, mountain biking and kayaking.

"I quickly fell in love with the Highlands and spent all my free time travelling north into the mountains," the 38-year-old said.

Lochaber is known for its dramatic landscape

Graham moved to Lochaber with his family three years ago after taking up a job at the aluminium smelter, a major local employer.

"For me it is definitely the accessibility to adventure," he says of the key reason for his decision to move west.

"We have Loch Linnhe to the east of us, you are looking up at Ben Nevis to the west, Loch Leven and Glen Coe just to the south."

But he concedes there are challenges to setting up home, and says tourism is a double edged sword with it bringing economic benefits but also pressure on accommodation.

He says: "Access to affordable housing is a crucial issue and affects locals and employers alike."

A woman relaxes on the banks of Loch Leven, Glen Coe

Among the initiaives set up to address depopulation in the regin is Fort William 2040 (FW2040) which aims to improve the town centre and build affordable homes.

This month, the Love Lochaber campaign was launched to promote the area to the rest of the world and help grow the population by 25% by 2040.

Meanwhile a Scottish government action is providing £180,000 for projects including research into causes of depopulation.

Penny Coles says there have been successes in improving job and housing opportunities

Penny Coles, head of partnerships at Crown Estate Scotland, moved from north-east Scotland to Fort William six years ago.

She shares Ellie and Graham's interest in outdoor sports activities and, before moving to Lochaber, visited the area with her family and later when she was an Aberdeen University student.

She says a friend, already living in Lochaber, would "rave" about how fantastic the area was, which further convinced her to move there.

Penny, who is involved in the FW2040 project, said Lochaber was not alone in facing issues around depopulation and housing shortages.

"There are lots of challenges but I also think a lot of solutions," she said.

"I think we have the organisations and the people that are really enthusiastic and driving things forward."