Empty Houses

More About the Project

What is the Empty Houses project about?

I first created Empty Houses in the community I live in on the Isle of Lismore. Depopulation is a serious problem facing the island, just as it is for many other communities around the highlands and islands. In 1831 Lismore had a population of 1500 people (R. Hay, 2013, p.9), whereas today the population sits at about 175. The depopulation of the highlands and islands is often thought of as a historic issue however, access to land, affordable housing, and work in rural areas are still major obstacles faced by these communities, and present very real difficulties for population sustainment and growth. I hope that this installation will encourage people to think about how the historical roots of these problems have evolved to form today's obstacles that are now being faced by rural communities.

How does the Empty Houses project evolve?

When the installation moves to a new location a new figurative sculpture is created which represents a person with a story from that specific area. This figure is then added to the existing group of sculptures which are displayed together in the new space.

What type of location is the Empty Houses project installed in?

Empty Houses are for communities in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland which are struggling with the issue of depopulation. The installation is designed to repopulate a depopulated space in a community by filling it with the people that the sculptures represent. The installation site must be a space that has been impacted by the issue of depopulation or is related to the story that is represented in the sculpture which has been created for that specific community. On Lismore, Empty Houses was installed in the ruins of an abandoned crofting community called Tir na Choirce, in Bonawe the installation was set up in the playground of the local school which was closed in 2014 due to a lack of students attending it.

Why is it important to make a project about depopulation?

The depopulation of the Highlands and Islands is often thought of as a historic issue which is attributed to events such as the Highland Clearances, the industrial revolution, the highland potato famine, and the rise of emigration (Hay, R., 2009, p.113). At the heart of all these events lies the central issue of inhabitants lacking access to land, stable work, accommodation, and resources, the result of which both pushed and pulled rural Highland inhabitants to relocate to new areas. (Hay, R.,2009, p.126-147).

In Grey's Scottish Population Statistics, he states that the country's population grew more than threefold between 1801 and 1951 (Gray, J., 1952, p.17). However in rural areas of the Highlands and Islands communities saw very sharp declines in populations, a trend which is continuing today. Population statistics from several islands in the Argyle region show that in 1831 the Isle of Mull had a population of 10,638 (Explore Scotland, 2023, Web.), whereas the 2021 census recorded its population at 3,000. In 1841 Tiree was reported to have a population of 4,687 (Mackenzie, A., 1914, p.228), whereas today its population is considered to be around 653. Islay was said to have had a peak population of around 15,000 in 1831 (Islay dot Scot, 2022, Web.) whereas today its population sits at around 3,000. On the isle of Lismore where I live, the population peaked at 1,500 in 1831 (R. Hay, 2013, p.9) and now sits at around 162 (Rural Housing Scotland, 2021, p.12). Data from the national record of Scotland indicates that in 2001 the population of Argyle was 91,300, in 2021 it was 86,220, and it has been projected that in 2028 the population will be 81,197, (National Records of Scotland, 2022, Web.) however, Webster's Census indicated that at its height in 1831, Argyle had a population of 100,973 (Gray, J., 1952, p.85).

I became interested in the impact of depopulation in this region after I moved to the Isle of Lismore in 2020 and witnessed the negative impact depopulation was having on the community. In the 2021 Rural Housing Feasibility Study Report for the Lismore Community Trust, it stated that Lismore like many parts of rural Scotland faces several challenges if it is to remain a thriving, and sustainable community. The 2021 Rural Housing Feasibility Study Report for the Lismore Community Trust stated that central to these challenges is the repopulation of rural areas and that this repopulation would rely on access to land, and opportunities for high-quality, diverse employment. The 2021 Rural Housing Feasibility Study Report for the Lismore Community Trust went on to share projections that Argyle and Bute, in which Lismore is located, will see depopulation of around 10% between 2016- 2041, particularly among younger age groups, and it is recognized that, with exceptions, islands tend to suffer worst. Lismore's population has dropped from 192 in 2011 to around 162 today and over 26% of the population is aged over 70. (Rural Housing Scotland, 2021, p.8).

The 2021 Rural Housing Feasibility Study Report for the Lismore Community Trust went on to state that the lack of suitable affordable housing on the island, and the impact of this on the future sustainability of Lismore, has been a concern for some time (Rural Housing Scotland, 2021, p.11) meaning

that a lack of access to affordable housing is a key contributing factor to depopulation on the island. Since moving to the island I have seen several families and individuals stuck in situations where they no longer had access to any living accommodations, which then lead to them having to leave the island. This situation is incredibly sad as the community is full of uninhabited homes. The 2021 Rural Housing Feasibility Study Report for the Lismore Community Trust stated that 58 of the 143 dwellings on the island (40.55%) are not in permanent occupation, 15 are holiday lets, 25 are second homes, and 11 are vacant (Rural Housing Scotland, 2021, p.12). It was this dynamic that lead to me titling the project Empty Houses.
 


I have gathered some numbers from observing the community on Lismore. These statistics are unofficial and have only come from what I have seen and heard within the community, but they are important to share. Since May 2022, 9 full-time residents of the island moved away as they lost access to their housing and could not find any alternative accommodation, and 9 full-time island residents have moved away from the island lack of access to work. I believe that for an island with a population of around 175, the loss of 18 community members due to issues with access to housing and employment over a year, is alarming, and is an issue worth talking about. This community-wide conversation is exactly what I had hoped to initiate through the Empty Houses project.

Empty Houses Locations

Click on the images below to find out more about the specific locations.

References

Explore Scotland. (2023) History of Mull. Web. Available at: https://www.isle-of-mull.net/attractions/history/history-of-mull/. (Accessed 15th April 2023).

Gray, J. (1952). Scottish Population Statistics including Webster’s Analysis of Population 1755. Edinburgh: T. and A. Constable LTD.

Hay, R., (2013). How an Island Lost its People. Lewis: The Island Book Trust.

Hay, R. (2009). Lismore the Great Garden. Glasgow: Bell & Bain Limited.

Islay dot Scot. (2022). Islay People. Web. Available at: https://islay.scot/islay-people/. (Accessed 7th April 2023).

Mackenzie, A., (1914). The History of the Highland Clearances, Argyllshire – The Isle of Mull. Glasgow: P.J. O'Callaghan.

National Records of Scotland. (2022). Argyle and Bute Council Area Profile.Web. Available at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/fles/statistics/council-area- data-sheets/argyll-and-bute-council-profle.html#tables. (Accessed 7th April 2023).

Rural Housing Scotland, (2021). Afordable Housing, Lismore, Feasibility Study Report for Lismore Community Trust. Web. Available at: https://ruralhousingscotland.org/home/oih/guide/argyll-bute- social-housing/isle-of-lismore. (Accessed 3rd March 2022).

First Location: Lismore

Second Location: Bonawe (current)