‘Immobility and the practices of being ‘local’ in Scottish Coastal communities

A growing proportion of the global population are living by sea and with this comes the need for social evidence within coastal planning and policy. Relational approaches offer new ways to understand the complex social and demographic processes that shape coastal places and their populations. This research draws upon qualitative evidence from three case studies in Scotland and examines the relationship between demographic processes and understandings of change in coastal places.
Whilst change in these communities are often driven by processes of mobility (commuting, residential moves and international migration), we argue that the flip-side of ‘immobility’ is also actively at play in shaping place. The paper discusses those people who remain ‘in place’ and how they practice being ‘local’ through their own immobility. This focus draws out contradictions embedded within the practices and narratives of the case study coastal communities. The paper questions how engaging with ‘immobility’ as well as mobility can offer fuller understandings of changing coastal populations and planning a future for them.