Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick has platformed the concerns of young islanders across Scotland in Holyrood, pressing the Scottish Government on the urgent need for more affordable housing available in all communities. During a parliamentary question to Housing Minister, Paul McLennan, Ms Roddick highlighted a recent report from the Young Islanders Network, which revealed [...]

While the cost of living crisis is impacting everyone across the UK, here in the Highlands and Islands we feel the pinch even more. It's a simple fact: life already costs more here. We face higher standing charges for electricity, inflated prices for everyday essentials in the shops, and let's not even get started on [...]

Scotland faces unique demographic challenges. Unlike other countries in the UK, we are projected to see population decline by 2030, which cannot be overcome by birth rates alone. Put simply, we need more people to move here to live and work. This is especially true in the Highlands and Islands. Since Brexit, and due to [...]

Emma Roddick has welcomed the progress of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill and called on the Scottish Government to ensure that the Bill provides adequate support to community groups who wish to take ownership of land. Ms Roddick highlighted the importance of the Bill in supporting community groups to own and manage land for the [...]

Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick has written to the Managing Director of NorthLink Ferries urging the company to reinstate shared cabins on its service between Shetland and Aberdeen.  The option for passengers to share a cabin on the overnight service between Shetland and Aberdeen was removed during the COVID-19 pandemic and is yet to [...]

MSP for the Highlands and Islands Emma Roddick has welcomed recent news that the Scottish Government is investing £3 million into Orkney’s internal ferry fleet, hailing the announcement as “really positive for Orcadians.” However, speaking to the Minister for Connectivity in the Scottish Parliament, Ms Roddick also urged the Scottish Government to continue to work [...]

MSP for the Highlands and Islands Emma Roddick has celebrated 10 years of Shetland Reel Gin by lodging a motion in her name in the Scottish Parliament. The first Shetland Reel Gin was produced on 31st October 2014 in the Saxa Vord Distillery in Unst, the most northerly distillery in the United Kingdom. Originally only [...]

Emma Roddick MSP for the Highlands & Islands has praised a pilot Youth Voluntary Services Scheme in Shetland, which brings together young people from the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service’s Youth Volunteer Scheme and Police Scotland’s Young Volunteers.  Emma met the team at Lerwick’s shared Fire and Ambulance Station and heard directly from those involved [...]

Text of Letter: Dear Mr Murray Further to Ms Minto’s previous letter of 26th September, we are writing to you as elected representatives for Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Parliament, to urge the UK Government to sign the Argyll and Bute Growth Deal without any further delay.  As you are aware, both the Scottish [...]

Emma Roddick MSP for the Highlands & Islands has praised the resilience and dedication of the team at the SaxaVord Spaceport in Unst, following an explosion during testing on the site in August. Ms Roddick visited the site herself, to hear directly from those involved in the project. SaxaVord is Europe’s first fully licensed vertical [...]