TY - BOOK
T1 - Resilient but Strained: Business Trends in Scotland’s Highlands and Islands, 2015-2024
AU - Naab, FZ
AU - Merrell, I
AU - Thomson, SG
PY - 2026/5/22
Y1 - 2026/5/22
N2 - This report examines trends in business performance and economic confidence in Scotland’s Highlands and Islands between 2015 and 2024, using data from the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Business Panel Survey. The analysis tracks long-term changes in key indicators such as employment, sales, exports, profitability, training, and confidence in Scotland’s economic outlook. The findings show three distinct periods: steady growth and stability before 2019; sharp contraction during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-2021; and gradual recovery from 2021 onwards. The report highlights the resilience of rural and island businesses, while noting ongoing challenges in workforce development, profitability, and export capacity. It contributes to the NISRIE project under the Scottish Government’s Strategic Research Programme, offering evidence to support policy aimed at strengthening the long-term resilience of the region’s economy.
AB - This report examines trends in business performance and economic confidence in Scotland’s Highlands and Islands between 2015 and 2024, using data from the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Business Panel Survey. The analysis tracks long-term changes in key indicators such as employment, sales, exports, profitability, training, and confidence in Scotland’s economic outlook. The findings show three distinct periods: steady growth and stability before 2019; sharp contraction during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-2021; and gradual recovery from 2021 onwards. The report highlights the resilience of rural and island businesses, while noting ongoing challenges in workforce development, profitability, and export capacity. It contributes to the NISRIE project under the Scottish Government’s Strategic Research Programme, offering evidence to support policy aimed at strengthening the long-term resilience of the region’s economy.
U2 - 10.58073/SRUC.30787517
DO - 10.58073/SRUC.30787517
M3 - Research report
T3 - Insights Series - HIE Business Panel Survey
BT - Resilient but Strained: Business Trends in Scotland’s Highlands and Islands, 2015-2024
ER -