Islands with Small Populations – Annual Event 2026

The Islands with Small Populations (IWSP) Annual Event took place on Friday 18th September 2026 at Islesburgh Community Centre.

The event brought together island representatives, senior managers, elected members and partners to review progress, share experiences and discuss support for Fair Isle, Fetlar, Foula, Papa Stour and Skerries.

The focus was on how communities and services work together: what is working well, where improvements are needed, and what future priorities and arrangements could look like.

Listening to Island Communities

The day began with a session for island representatives to reflect on their experiences of working with the Council and partners. This provided an opportunity to discuss what is working well, what they would like to see continued, and where changes could be helpful.

Key messages from this discussion were then brought into the wider session with senior managers and partners, alongside reflections from the Annual Senior Managers’ Meeting in August.

Reviewing How We Work Together

Mixed discussion groups explored three areas:

• Contact and support – how island communities connect with services and access the support they need.
• Issues and follow-up – how concerns are raised, actions progressed and updates shared.
• Future priorities and arrangements – what communities and partners want to focus on and how joint working could develop.

These discussions built on the ongoing IWSP work, which uses island issues logs, regular meetings and contact with services to record priorities and follow up outstanding matters.

The networking lunch provided further opportunities for island representatives to speak directly with services and partner organisations about matters affecting their communities.

Connecting with Other Scottish Islands

The afternoon featured a session with Luke Fraser and Davie Campbell, exploring the work of the Scottish Islands Federation and opportunities for island communities to connect with others across Scotland.

A presentation, conversation and questions provided an opportunity to discuss shared challenges, learn from island experiences and explore the benefits of wider networking.

Next Steps

Notes and proposals from the day are being brought together alongside participant feedback. These will help inform discussions about improvements to current working arrangements and options for future support.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the event, including island representatives, speakers, partners and the staff who supported the day.