Scotland’s Rural Voice 2025

We are delighted to announce the publication of Scotland’s Rural Voice – a major new Scotland-wide survey of more than 3,000 people.

The survey – produced in partnership with Salmon Scotland, NFU Scotland and Homes for Scotland – examines the issues that matter most to those living in remote and rural areas as they face challenges from an ageing and, in some areas, shrinking population. The three top issues of concern for people in rural areas are health service access (45 per cent), public transport (35 per cent), and housing availability (30 per cent), according to the Scotland’s Rural Voice survey.

Researchers found that Scotland’s rural residents are more satisfied with their lives than their urban counterparts, including with their home, the area they live in, their quality of life, and their general health. More than half (57 per cent) report that they are satisfied with the sense of community and belonging, compared to around a third (36 per cent) of urban respondents.

However, most people living in the countryside (73 per cent) feel decision-makers do not understand the needs of their communities, rising to 79 per cent among remote rural respondents. Nearly two thirds (63 per cent) said rural residents do not have a meaningful voice in shaping decisions affecting them, rising to 70 per cent in remote rural areas. People in the Highlands and Islands, and the north-east, are more likely than rural residents in many other regions to agree with both statements.

Nearly nine in 10 (89 per cent) rural residents support greater power being devolved to Scotland’s countryside, including decisions about local services and development.

Read the full report here: Scotland’s Rural Voice – 2025