Housing in rural Scotland is a significant challenge area – there is limited housing available, and finding somewhere to live, particularly for young people, can be very difficult. There is information here on housing policy (both building and retrofit), self-build housing and available funding. Housing is an issue closely related to the Rural Economy and Access & Ownership.

Key Policies in Scotland

Policies focussed on housing provision across Scotland.

Housing: Key Policies in Scotland

Housing to 2040

Housing to 2040 is a Scottish Government report setting out a vision for housing in Scotland and a route map of how to get there, published in March 2021.

Housing and planning delivery framework

Aims to increase the speed and efficiency of housing delivered across Scotland.

National Planning Framework 4

NPF4 is the latest plan (to 2045) that guides spatial development across Scotland. It is a visionary national planning policy addressing the global climate emergency and nature crisis. It is left to local planning departments as to how to implement the policy.

Housing for the future

How can the housing sector take a place-based, public interest approach to housing and planning?

Housing: Housing for the future

Land For Housing

Land Commission report makes recommendations for reforming the housing market to ensure people and communities are provided with safe, climate-friendly housing.

UK Housing: Fit for the future?

The UK’s Committee on Climate Change comprehensive report, ‘UK Housing: Fit for the future? The report explores whether UK housing stock is adequately prepared for climate change.

Publications from Gaia Group

Gaia Group is an interdisciplinary organisation based in Edinburgh. They have published a range of reports on creating sustainable and inclusive housing and places.

Bright Green Futures

The National Self Build Association’s report ‘Self Build as a volume housing solution’. The report outlines the benefits of encouraging an expansion of self build housing in the UK and makes a number of recommendations to the UK government to support this vision.

Smart Clachan

Smart Clachan are a 21st Century revival of a clachan - a small community based initiative led by Rural Housing Scotland of place making that creates affordable housing and shared facilities.

Rural & Housing Action Plan 2023

Recently published Government Action Plan sets out a range of actions to support 'Housing to 2040', with a specific focus on rural areas including affordable housing and rural depopulation.

another winter’s ice and rain
the drub and scrape of hoof and horn and these last lichen-riddled slabs
could creak and drop
to the bare, wet moor
but not yet
they stand and cling, they lean against the blue May sky
the bright wind
a wheatear whistles from its granite nook
and a blackface ewe
pushes through the swaying broom
rubs her tatty arse against this poor, half-fallen dyke and offers up a bleat
or two
in praise of stone

Podcasts

Featured

RTBC

Reasons to be Cheerful is a podcast hosted by MP Ed Miliband and journalist Geoff Lloyd. In this episode, they speak to guests about a national retrofit programme and hear about a people-powered approach to retrofit in Manchester.

Talks & Videos

Housing: Talks and Videos

SEDA Conference 2020 Building our Rural Areas back better

SEDA Conference 2020 talk on ‘Building Rural Areas back better’. Log in to Vimeo required to watch.

Why take a place-based approach to housing?

Architecture & Design Scotland’s video explainer on taking a place-based approach to housing and the benefits this can bring.

Books

An open access book on how understanding the social dimensions of self build housing can advance theory, practice and research. The book fills a significant gap in the under-studied phenomenon of self build housing.