Returning to Thornhill
I recently returned “home” to Thornhill in Dumfriesshire, where I went to school. I went back for the Gala day.
For those of you who are not familiar, Thornhill is a village in the Nithsdale valley which is home to around 1700 people (according to the 2020 census). Thornhill has maintained a good selection of independent shops and is busy compared to other rural villages as the A68 runs through the middle of it. However, Thornhill like other rural villages has its challenges including high numbers of outmigration, especially of young people leaving to pursue further/higher education or employment, and many not returning due to lack of opportunities locally.
In research terms, this is known as rural depopulation, a topic that my colleagues have worked on for many years and are currently working on as part of the Scottish Government’s strategic research programme 2022-2027.
Like many of my friends who have left Thornhill, I used the opportunity to meet up with family and school friends. What struck me on the way around the parade, was the number of my school friends standing outside their house doors or walking in the parade. Some of them already returned or are planning to return to Thornhill mainly with their families. Seeing my peers moving back to the village was brilliant as I believe that for rural communities to thrive, young people are required.
Research has shown that across the globe, rural communities are suffering from rural depopulation, they are struggling to keep, recruit or retain their population. When the residents are often asked what type of in-migrant they would like to see moving to their areas, many say young people or young families.
Similarly, Thornhill is not an exception as I was repeatedly asked throughout the day whether I would return to Thornhill with my family – more about that later but in turn, I learned about what had drawn my friends’ “home” once again. Answers included: it’s a nice place to live and to bring up children, it has good, smaller schools, and grandparents were able to provide childcare to their children. All very good reasons that align with research conducted elsewhere.
In my colleague Ana’s former work on rural in-migration in Australia, the common themes of rural idyll, lifestyle, family, community, higher quality of life, and self-reinvention came up multiple times across multiple different countries. While it is well known that rural areas are way more than just picturesque idyllic places, it is indisputable that people actively move to rural areas in attempts to improve their quality of life, whether through community, entrepreneurial activity, financial safety, or lifestyle choice. This work also found that a lot of newcomers to the area had some former connection to the region, whether through family, partner, history or work, which led them to choose specific location they thought would be a good fit for them. It was also clear that people sought family and different lifestyle if encountering illness, and rural areas were a good fit for them during the recovery process. These types of places can be observed as safe, community-oriented, caring and friendly, making them often a safe choice for young families. The returnees were reminiscent of their upbringing, the freedom and ability to safely roam and play in the area, while others seek comfort in knowing they will be able to improve their quality of life and emerge themselves in the community.
Back to Thornhill, it was also interesting to learn about the reasons that friends who said they would not return. These included: a lack of professional development, a shortage of well-paid specialised jobs, and limited activities, services, and amenities (that are often associated with specific life stages) were given.
As we started discussing the benefits and challenges associated with rural living, the conversation naturally progressed towards the challenges of living in many rural places, such as the lack of public transport, or the ability to work remotely without a long commute impacting the desired lifestyle. For some, remote/hybrid working has made it possible for them to return to Thornhill, some had kept their jobs in Glasgow and Edinburgh and could commute a couple of days a week. However, we discussed how the lack of public transport has always been a challenge when going to Edinburgh or Glasgow. Glasgow is about an hour's drive away and Edinburgh is nearer 1.5 hours by car and longer if using public transport. The closest train stations Sanquhar (Glasgow train) and Lockerbie (Edinburgh train) are 11 miles and 26 miles away from Thornhill respectively. We spoke about this and compared it to other nearby areas that were growing more as they had better transport links.
It is unlikely that I will return to Thornhill as we live in the rural area where my husband grew up which also has many of the challenges discussed about Thornhill. I understand why my friends are starting to return to Thornhill as many of the reasons they gave are why my husband and I chose to move out of the city. For now, like others, we will be visitors to Thornhill, my visit to Thornhill reminded me of the importance of community events such as gala days, highlighting the community spirit and camaraderie that the village has. It was great for us to feel part of it and for my children to experience something which I remember so fondly as a child. Events like this don’t only keep communities going, they remind us of the importance of camaraderie, friendship, respect, and care our communities can offer. It may also remind some visitors what they could be missing out on.
A huge thank you to the gala committee for organising a brilliant and inclusive day out.
This is just my account however my colleagues are interested to hear your story about the depopulation or repopulation of Scotland’s rural and island areas. If you would like to share your lived experiences, please fill in our survey or if you would prefer to talk to someone, please email my colleagues Jane.Atterton@sruc.ac.uk or Ana.Vuin@sruc.ac.uk.
Survey: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/sruc/rural-exchange-depopulation-microsurvey
Thumbnail image credit: Billy McCrorie