Episode 1 - Not Just a Pretty Place

Why do so many young people feel they have to leave the Scottish Highlands?

Will Sadler’s first question when he visits Farr High School in Mackay Country isn’t what makes the students want to leave - but what makes them want to stay?

He explores how romantic stereotypes of a wild, empty landscape clash with the young people’s lived reality that places people at the very centre of their experience.

He’ll find out how traumatic historical events such as the Highland Clearances mean that the question of whether to leave or to stay is nothing new.

He will discover why, despite the challenges of rural life, a strong sense of community and connection to place remains the most powerful reason for young people to call this beautiful part of the world their home.

Highlands Reimagined is an Anya Media production, commissioned by Strathnaver Museum and published in partnership with the Wild for Scotland podcast. Find out more at highlandsreimagined.com