Working Together to Unlock the Highlands’ potential

I was grateful for the opportunity to speak at the Highland Sustainable Development Summit earlier this month, and equally delighted to have recently joined the Highland CIC board. In preparing for my remarks, I found myself reflecting on my own origin story as a young person growing up in the Highlands – and on how those early experiences shaped my understanding of the challenges and opportunities we face today.

Even in primary school, the pressures on our communities were easy to see. Depopulation was a constant presence. I watched friends and families leave, often never to return. I saw neighbouring schools shutting their doors. The economic and social challenges affecting the region were visible everywhere, even to a child.

Those experiences sparked an early sense of urgency in me. I remember once inviting all the local councillors to my house for a discussion without telling my parents. When they appeared on our doorstep, neither the councillors nor my parents were especially pleased. But looking back, it captures how I felt at the time: frustrated that no one seemed to be standing up for young people or for the future of our communities. It felt as though we were powerless in the face of change.

As I grew older, I realised the issue wasn’t that people weren’t acting, it was that they weren’t acting together. Even within the public sector, institutions often worked in silos. That lack of cohesion, in my view, remains one of the greatest risks facing the Highlands. If we do not move forward in unison, we limit our ability to respond to challenges and to seize new opportunities.

But the inverse is also true: if we work together, there is so much potential to be unlocked.

Right now, we stand on the edge of a generational opportunity. Significant investment in renewables is happening right here on our doorstep. We have the skills, the expertise, the culture, the history, and the natural assets to make the most of it. What we need is alignment – across organisations, across sectors, and across communities.

My hope is that everyone who attended the Summit takes time to consider where their organisation sits within this wider picture. We are all part of a much larger jigsaw puzzle, and the full picture only becomes clear when the pieces come together.

Although I could not be there in person, I was especially pleased to introduce our youth panel. Their insights, I am certain, surpass anything I could offer alone, and I am excited to see what they contribute to the future of our region.

Thank you again for the chance to speak and for the work you are all doing. I look forward to meeting many more of you at Highland CIC and Highland Renewables Network events in 2026 and to working together to build a sustainable, thriving future for the Highlands.