CLIMATE FOR CHANGE Scotland's housing shortage causes numerous problems: it halts mobility, creates friction, stifles the economy and impedes employment. Rural Scotland's housing shortage remains a stumbling block to stimulating local economies with new workers – but some fish farming firms are now taking matters into their own hands, reveals Andrew Collier Scotland’s rural landscape is one of the country’s greatest assets. Varied, unique and beautiful, it offers aspirational lifestyles and draws tourists like a magnet. But its very popularity is also the root of some deep-seated problems. Arguably the most serious of these is the lack of suitable rural housing provision, particularly in the Highlands and Islands. A near-insatiable demand means that stock is in short supply and properties that do go on the market tend to get snapped up at high prices.