16th July 2026
Every year, another group of young people leaves Caithness. This is not just a Caithness story as similar challenges exist in Orkney, Shetland, Argyll, the Borders, Cumbria, Wales and many rural parts of Europe.
Some head south to university.
Others take apprenticeships elsewhere.
Many leave simply because the jobs they want are not available locally.
Parents wave them off with pride, hoping they will succeed.
But many quietly wonder if they will ever come back.
It is a story that has repeated itself for generations.
The question today is whether it has become one of the biggest challenges facing the future of rural Scotland.
It isn't just about jobs
Jobs are certainly part of the picture, but they are far from the whole story.
Ask young people why they leave, and the answers usually include a combination of reasons.
They want:
more career opportunities
higher education
affordable housing
better transport
more entertainment and social life
wider choice of employers
the chance to meet new people.
Cities naturally offer many of these things.
For a young person starting out, they can seem full of possibilities.
The education effect
Higher education has transformed opportunities for generations of young people.
That is undoubtedly a good thing.
The difficulty for rural communities is that students often build new lives where they study.
They make friends.
They find partners.
They begin careers.
By the time they think about returning home, many are settled elsewhere.
The housing paradox
People often assume rural areas have plenty of housing.
The reality is more complicated.
Young adults may struggle to find homes they can afford.
Some properties become holiday homes or short-term lets.
Others are simply beyond the reach of first-time buyers.
Meanwhile older residents may remain in larger family houses because there are too few attractive smaller homes to move into.
The result is a housing market that does not work well for either generation.
Careers have changed
A generation ago, many young people expected to work for one employer for much of their lives.
Today careers are far more varied.
People change jobs frequently.
Many want opportunities to progress quickly or specialise.
Small rural labour markets naturally offer fewer options than major cities.
That makes it harder to retain ambitious young professionals.
Is remote working changing the picture?
The pandemic showed that many jobs can be done almost anywhere with a reliable internet connection.
That raised hopes of a rural revival.
Some people have indeed moved to areas like the Highlands while continuing to work for employers hundreds of miles away.
But remote working has not solved everything.
Many careers still require people to be physically present.
Healthcare, engineering, hospitality, retail, construction and manufacturing all depend on local workplaces.
Reliable digital connectivity also remains essential if remote working is to become a long-term solution.
Why returning home can be difficult
Many former Caithness residents would happily move back.
The obstacle is often practical rather than emotional.
Can they find suitable employment?
Can both partners build careers locally?
Are there enough childcare places?
Can they buy a home?
If the answers are no, returning becomes much harder, however strong the attachment to home.
What attracts young people?
Research consistently suggests that young adults are not looking for one single solution.
Instead they look at the overall quality of life.
Successful rural communities tend to combine several ingredients:
good jobs
affordable housing
fast broadband
reliable transport
strong schools
healthcare services
cultural and sporting activities
a welcoming community.
No single investment transforms an area overnight.
It is usually the combination that matters.
What Caithness already has
It is easy to focus on what the county lacks.
Yet Caithness also has considerable strengths.
These include:
spectacular natural surroundings
lower crime than many urban areas
strong community spirit
internationally recognised renewable energy projects
engineering skills built over decades
opportunities linked to space, offshore wind and energy innovation
a quality of life that many city residents increasingly value.
These are genuine assets.
The challenge is turning them into enough sustainable jobs for younger generations.
Should we think differently?
Perhaps one question has not been asked often enough.
Instead of asking how to stop young people leaving, should we ask how to make it easier for them to return?
Many people gain valuable education, skills and experience elsewhere.
Encouraging them to come back in their thirties, bringing families, expertise and new ideas, may be just as important as persuading every school leaver to stay.
Looking ahead
No rural community keeps all of its young people.
Nor should it.
Young people have always travelled to learn, explore and build careers.
Success should not be measured by preventing them from leaving.
It should be measured by ensuring they have a realistic opportunity to come home if they choose.
For Caithness, that may be the real challenge.
Not simply saying goodbye to another generation.
But making sure that, one day, they can see a future worth coming back to.
Because every young family that returns brings more than children for local schools.
They bring new businesses, new skills, new ideas and renewed confidence that rural communities still have a vibrant future.
In the end, the future of Caithness may depend not on persuading every young person to stay, but on ensuring that those who leave never have to close the door on coming home.