Ward Statistics


| Population | Households & Housing Stock | Employment & Economic Activity |
| Unemployment & Benefits | Income & Deprivation |


Population

National Records of Scotland (NRS) supplies us with annual population estimates for small areas which we build up to give totals and changes at Ward level. These estimates aim to exclude short term migrants.

The Black Isle Ward is a rural ward with a large number of individual settlements and an overall population density above the Highland average. The proportion of people in the 16 to 49 age group is the lowest in Highland, with the second highest proportion in the 50 to 64 age group. The population grew by 5.4% between 2004 and 2009 - the second highest growth rate outside Inverness - but with a slight decrease in the younger age groups.

Total Population

  Ward Highland Scotland
Total Population 9,715 220,490 5,194,000
Source: GRO(S) 2009 mid-year estimates

Age Structure

Age Ward (%) Highland (%) Scotland (%) Ward (No.) Highland (No.) Scotland (No.)
0-15 17.6 17.7 17.6 1,714 39,120 912,340
16-49 38.5 41.7 46.4 3,736 92,009 2,411,340
50-64 24.6 22.0 19.3 2,386 48,487 1,001,808
65-74 11.3 10.2 9.0 1,098 22,491 469,991
75-84 5.8 6.1 5.7 566 13,534 295,004
85+ 2.2 2.2 2.0 215 4,849 103,517
Source: GRO(S) 2009 mid-year estimates

Population Density

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of persons per square kilometre 34.3 8.3 66.7
Area (square kilometres) 284 26,489 77,925
Source: GRO(S) 2008 mid-year estimates

Health

This Census response is one of the best simple measures we have of the health of our population. The rate of self-reported long term illness in the Black Isle is below the Highland average.

  Ward Highland Scotland
Percentage of total population:      
with a limiting long-term illness 17.2 18.4 20.3
without a limiting long-term illness 82.8 81.6 79.7
Source: Census 2001

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| Unemployment & Benefits | Income & Deprivation |


Households & Housing Stock

The following tables provide information on housing and household tenure in this Ward. Housing completions provide us with a picture of the growth of the local area whilst housing tenure and occupancy examine the nature of housing in the Ward.

The number of new homes built during the last five years was around half the Highland average. The Local Plan shows an adequate supply of housing land zoned for development although Scottish Water infrastructure will constrain some local developments.

Number of households

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of households 3,739 89,528 2,192,246
Source: Census 2001

House Prices

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of private house sales in 2009 110 2,490 55,349
Average house price £198,712 £156,113 £153,057
Median (midpoint) house price £185,000 £140,000 £134,100
Source: Communities Scotland/Registers of Scotland 2009

House Completions

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of house completions between 2006-2010 152 7,329 n/a
Average number of completions per year 30 1,466 n/a
Source: Highland Council

Housing Land Audit

  Ward Highland
Number of new homes* that potentially will be built between 2010-2014 : 837 24,178
* identified in the Local Plan or with planning permission
Source: Highland Council

Further information about the Housing Land Audit is available on the Housing Land Audit webpage.

Number of Council Houses

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of Council owned houses 314 13,581 323,138
Source: Highland Council / Scottish Executive April 2011

Housing Tenure

  Ward Highland Scotland
Percentage of households that are:      
owner occupied 77.3 65.7 62.6
rented from the Council/Scottish Homes 10.1 18.0 21.6
rented from housing association 0.4 3.6 5.6
privately rented 8.1 8.5 6.7
other 4.1 4.2 3.5
Source: Census 2001

Housing Occupancy

  Ward Highland Scotland
Percentage of housing stock that is:      
occupied 93.3 89.8 94.9
second/holiday homes 3.2 6.2 1.3
vacant 3.5 4.0 3.8
Percenatges are based on housing stock figures of 4,007 (Ward), 99,739 (Highland) and 2,308,939 (Scotland) from the Census 2001

| Population | Households & Housing Stock | Employment & Economic Activity |
| Unemployment & Benefits | Income & Deprivation |


Employment & Economic Activity

The following series of tables provide information on employment status and the types of industries that provide jobs in the Ward. This information provides us with an understanding of the nature of employment within the Ward.

13.6% of workers in Black Isle are self employed (Census 2001), above the Highland average. The Ward is a commuter area to Inverness and has the lowest number of jobs in Highland, with a low proportion in manufacturing and a high proportion in the public sector.

Number of People in Employment

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of people in employment * 2,300 109,300 2,420,400
* Rounded to nearest 100 people
Source: Annual Business Inquiry 2008

Employment by Sector

  Ward Highland Scotland
Percentage of people employed in:      
Agriculture & fishing 4.3 1.7 1.7
Energy & water 0.1 0.8 1.8
Manufacturing 3.9 8.0 8.7
Construction 6.8 6.7 5.9
Distribution, hotels and restaurants 15.5 25.6 22.2
Transport and communications 2.9 6.0 5.1
Banking, finance & insurance, etc. 12.0 14.9 19.1
Public admin., education & health 49.6 31.1 30.0
Other services 5.0 5.3 5.4
Source: Annual Business Inquiry 2008

Economic Activity

  Ward Highland Scotland
Percentage of 16-74 year olds *      
Economically active 67.3 68.1 65.0
Full-time employees 36.4 38.9 40.3
Part-time employees 12.1 12.9 11.1
Self employed 13.6 10.2 6.6
Full-time student 1.7 1.8 3.0
Unemployed 3.5 4.3 4.0
* total 16-74 year olds 6,649 152,675 3,731,079
Economically active people are defined as those aged 16 to 74 who are working, actively looking for work or full-time students
Source: Census 2001

Qualifications

  Ward Highland Scotland
Percentage of 16-74 year olds* whose highest qualification is:      
Group 1 22.0 26.1 24.7
Group 2 15.8 15.3 15.7
Group 3 6.3 6.4 7.0
Group 4 29.0 19.6 19.5
No qualifications 26.9 32.6 33.2
* total 16-74 year olds 6,649 152,675 3,731,079
Group 1: 'O' Grade, Standard Grade, Intermediate I or 2, City & Guilds Craft, SVQ level 1 or 2 or equivalent
Group 2: Higher Grade, CSYS, ONC, OND, City & Guilds Advanced Craft, RSA Advanced Diploma, SVQ level 3 or equivalent
Group 3: HND, HNC RSA Higher Diploma, SVQ level 4 or 5 or equivalent
Group 4: First degree, Higher degree, Professional qualification
Source: Census 2001

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| Unemployment & Benefits | Income & Deprivation |


Unemployment & Benefits

The following tables provide information about the rate of unemployment and those receiving both Incapacity and Council Tax Benefits. One feature of Highland life is that employment is often dependent on seasonal industries such as tourism, and employment rates vary through the year as people take up seasonal jobs but are unemployed for the rest of the year.

The Black Isle is the least dependent on seasonal employment. Both the unemployment and long term unemployment rates are around the lowest in Highland. The Incapacity Benefit Claim rate is one of the lowest in Highland and the Council Tax Benefit claim rate is well below the Highland average.

Latest unemployment rates ( August 2011 )

  Ward Highland Scotland
Unemployment rate * 1.4 2.8 4.5
Long term unemployment rate ** 0.3 0.9 1.7
* Percentage of resident working age population claiming Job Seekers Allowance
** Percentage of resident working age population claiming Job Seekers Allowance for 6 months or more
Source: Department for Work and Pensions date from NOMIS

 

Figure 1: Unemployment Rates (October 2004 to August 2011 )
Graph showing unemployment

 

Figure 2: Long-term Unemployment Rates (October 2004 to August 2011 )
Graph showing long term unemployment

Incapacity Benefit / Severe Disability Allowance / Employment and Support Allowance ( February 2011 )

  Ward Highland Scotland
Incapacity Benefit / Severe Disability Allowance claimant rate * 3.1 5.4 6.3
Employment and Support Allowance Claimant Rate * 0.0 0.0 0.0
* Percentage of resident working age population
Source: Department for Work and Pensions data from NOMIS

 

Figure 3: Incapacity Benefit / Severe Disability Allowance / Employment and Supprt Allowance claimant rates (February 2001 to February 2011 )
Graph showing Incapacity / Severe Disability Allowance / Employment and Support Allowance claimant rates

| Population | Households & Housing Stock | Employment & Economic Activity |
| Unemployment & Benefits | Income & Deprivation |


Income & Deprivation

The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, SIMD, is the Executive’s official measure for identifying small area concentrations of multiple deprivation. Household incomes are taken from CACI Paycheck, a commercial database based on lifestyle surveys and market research data, supplied by Communities Scotland to help with housing analysis.

No datazones within the Ward are identified as severely and the proportion of people classed as income deprived and employment deprived are the second lowest in Highland. Black Isle has the third highest average household income in Highland.

  Ward Highland Scotland
Number of income deprived people * 680 27,260 779,135
Percentage of income deprived people * 7.0 12.5 15.1
Number of employment deprived people * 300 12,165 373,100
Percentage of employment deprived people * 5.2 9.2 11.6
Number of candidate Data Zones for Regeneration Funding 0 16 976
Average annual income ** £36,206 £31,368 £33,207
Percentage of households earning less than £10k per year ** 9.7 12.8 12.6
* Source: Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2009updated
** Source: CACI Paycheck 2009

| Population | Households & Housing Stock | Employment & Economic Activity |
| Unemployment & Benefits | Income & Deprivation |