A new conceptual framework to classify sub-national islands: Gow's Typology

Spatial classifications used in research and policy typically use combinations of population and accessibility measures to present ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ as a binary or points along a continuum. As such they offer limited ability to differentiate between types of rural place, failing to capture how the interplay between key factors affects the day-to-day realities of life in these communities. Furthermore, within classifications adopted by national governments, islands are generally subsumed under the generic ‘rural’ descriptor. Where islands are explicitly identified within policy, they tend to be grouped according to their geographical location with their attributes beyond being places delineated by watery boundaries ignored. In this paper we set out our attempt to address this gap in our understanding of the diverse nature of (rural) islands. Deploying a nissological framing, where islands are understood on their own terms, we present an account of the development of two typologies designed for use in the Scottish island context. Gow's Typology of Scotland's Islands uses multi-stranded concepts of capacity and reliance to examine factors which affect daily life in islands. This was, in turn, used as the basis of the Scottish Government Scottish Islands Typology (2024), a tool intended to support more nuanced policy making and service provision. We explore the development of these typologies, reflecting on their potential use, particularly in relation to statutory requirements to consider differing geographical contexts within policy, and consider how both the typologies and the underlying approach to their development could be adapted for use in other contexts. • Considering alternative ways of classifying places can offer new perspectives. • Concepts of capacity and reliance can help us re-think spatial classifications. • Gow's Typology assists effective national policy design. • The island typologies presented can be adapted for other national contexts. • The framework developed for Gow's Typology can be adapted for use in rural areas.