‘Shocking’ housing situation and huge travel costs – the challenges of island life for young people
THE COST of living has risen steeply for years, and for many young adults the pressure is palpable. Maddison Reynolds spoke to some young Shetlanders about the unique challenges they face.
Madison Drummond, 20, is a self-employed nail artist based in a Lerwick salon.
After leaving school in 2023 Drummond did not have a clear vision for her future, choosing to delve into the business after years of building her skills as a hobby for friends and family.
Initially starting out employed in a salon, the transition to becoming her own boss meant figuring out how to manage her income efficiently.
“When you go self-employed you don’t take into account all of the things you have to do,” she says. “For example, you have to register with HMRC to pay tax, you have to buy all your own stock, you have to think about delivery prices of living in Shetland.”
Drummond estimates that around half of her income goes back into buying products and maintaining her business, with a variable income each month depending on her need to restock and client numbers.
She also must be mindful of the cost of delivery to the islands, trying to hold off on orders until they are large enough to justify the additional shipping expense.
“It has made me better at not spending as much money because I know that I need to have money if I need to buy more stock.”
Drummond recently moved from Scalloway to stay with her partner’s family in Sumburgh, with the two preparing to save for their own home. To do this, Drummond also works a second job at weekends in the Toll Clock Toy Shop. The decision to relocate was made after months of trying to get a foot on the property ladder and finding no luck.
Drummond described navigating the housing market as “shocking”, detailing the various obstacles that she and her partner have faced so far. They have applied for rented housing to no avail, with long waitlists eventually leading them to focus on saving for a future mortgage.
“For now, it’s just a matter of trying to save every single spare penny that we can. In the next five years, maybe we will be able to put in a down payment, but that still seems so far away.”
Living in Sumburgh means that Drummond has to work her hours around when her partner goes to Lerwick for work or college, as she does not have her driving license. When this is not possible, she must take the bus, which restricts her working schedule further.
Despite the trials she has faced finding housing on the island, Drummond stressed that she has no desire to move away from Shetland, saying “I love this island and I love the people on it, I could never picture myself anywhere else”.
Eighteen year old Erin Spence is one of many young Shetlanders who have taken the decision to move off the island for a few years to study at university. Leaving for Glasgow in the coming weeks, she is excited to get to know life on the mainland.
A keen netballer, Spence is also looking forward to continuing playing the sport at university. She has represented Shetland as one of the co-captains for the junior inter-county team in Orkney this year, and the Anderson High School team on the mainland, helping the latter win the Scottish Schools league earlier this year.
However, with their progression in the tournament there also came a progression in the cost of playing.
“We got so far in the tournament, the trips ended up adding up and adding up. The parents were paying around £100 for us to go each time, so eventually we got extra funding from the school to subsidise the cost,” she says.
“It’s a shame because if you’re a really good team you have to go away more because you keep winning, but that means it’s more expensive.”
The team also received local sponsorship from L. Williamson Fish Sales Ltd, helping with additional costs of the tournament.
Spence noted that they are “lucky” to get a home game, with the only district team willing to travel up to play being Aberdeen, who rarely do. This is a theme echoed across sports teams from Shetland, with the Shetland Women’s FC Scottish Cup game against Stewarton Annick Ladies FC gaining national attention for the cost of the Ayrshire team’s travel to the island.
Spence lives in Unst, and as such the cost of training also adds up when she factors in additional fuel and ferry fares. Currently, under-22s are provided free foot passenger travel on inter-island ferries with their Young Scot cards, however, for young islanders who drive this does not account for much.
To save for university, Spence holds two jobs in Unst at the Boat Haven and Da Otter’s Neuk, a café which opened earlier this year. Without the café, she said that she would have to look for work on the mainland island in order to earn enough money to keep her afloat during her studies.
Looking beyond university and potentially returning home, Spence isn’t against the idea of living on the mainland of Shetland rather than her native island.
“I think if it came to it, and a job came up on the mainland I wouldn’t be against the idea of staying there. Work is a big thing, and I think if there’s no job here there’s not really much point in staying.”
While there is a feeling of a need for improvement in helping young people get their start in Shetland, or incentive to return, there is certainly not a lack of desire to.
Brooke Leslie, 18, is also venturing to Glasgow in September to start studying at university. However, she took a year out after her sixth year at high school in order to save up for her studies. Leslie has also worked two jobs at the same time over the past year, wary of the expense of living in the city.
“I feel like there’s so much pressure to go to university straight after school, and at first I didn’t want to take the year out. When I was still at school it wasn’t seen to be as much of an option,” she explains.
Making the decision to stay in Shetland and work for a year has alleviated some of the stress of saving for her first year at university. She feels that she does not have to worry as much about the cost of accommodation and general living expenses, instead being able to focus on her studies and enjoying life in the city.
However, unlike students who already live on the Scottish mainland, travelling home for a weekend is a costly venture for islanders. While many students opt to stay on the mainland for most of term-time, Leslie will have to make regular visits home to receive orthodontal care for her braces.
Like inter-island ferries, under-22 Young Scot card holders are also given two return trip vouchers to travel on NorthLink ferries. Although this does lift some of the financial burden of travelling to the mainland, the physical toil of the long journey isn’t always the easiest option.
“At university, we don’t have the choice to commute, it just isn’t an option for us. When I do have to come home for my appointments I’d probably fly because it’s such a short amount of time, but it’s so expensive.”
Living in Glasgow will also allow Leslie easier access to leisure activities, such as concerts or even a weekend getaway with flights cheaper abroad than to Shetland.
Whilst there is plenty of events throughout the year to keep islanders busy, the costs for young people can be off putting. Although the recent Rising North festival was one of the last weekend events that Leslie enjoyed with her friends, the price of tickets made her reconsider going.
“The only reason I got tickets for the Saturday night was because one of my friends offered to pay for a part of my ticket. I know a lot of people who didn’t bother because of how expensive it was,” she says.
However, like the other young Shetlanders I spoke to, Leslie recognised the unique aspects of island life that make it worthwhile to live here.
All three commended the sense of community they feel in their home, as well as the breathtaking scenery and wildlife afforded to islanders at arm’s length.
While there is a feeling of a need for improvement in helping young people get their start in Shetland, or incentive to return, there is certainly not a lack of desire to.
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