Regional and regionalised approaches to changing ruralities – Orkney Islands and Scottish Borders

This case study explores the concepts, practices and implications of a “regionalisation” of rural futures, through examining development policies operating in Scottish Borders and Orkney Islands, Scotland. Trends including urbanisation (as communications routes improve), land and community abandonment (as clusters or centres of population grow, and services and livelihoods decline in remoter areas), plus the need for affordable rural housing, all have landscape implications.