1.4 Area Description

The Orkney and Shetland islands are situated in the North Atlantic, approximately 7 and 100 miles north of the Scottish mainland respectively. The two island groups consist in total of 160 islands, of which 30 are inhabited. The character of each group is quite different, Shetland's landscape being dominated by peatland, heather moorland and montanemountain,while in contrast mainland Orkney is flatter and consists mostly of improved grass and arable land.

Agriculture and fishing are important employers in both island groups. Amongst the most important industries are food and drink, oil and gas, craft, aquaculture and knitwear manufacture. In summer, tourism is particularly important to both Orkney and Shetland, and generates in a large increase in population and economic turnover.

The current population of the area is 42,375 with the biggest conurbations being Kirkwall and Stromness in Orkney, and Lerwick and Scalloway in Shetland. Current projections indicate a likely decline in the area's population, but the number of households is projected to increase substantially by an estimated 9.5% by 2014 (see Figure 1.1 below). This has important implications for MSW management. However further work is required on how these changes will translate into impacts on the total waste arisings in the area.

Figure 1.1 - Estimated increase in number of households in Orkney and Shetland

Source: Scottish Statistical Bulletin 2002

Population levels, the level and type of economic activity, and therefore waste arisings, are notoriously volatile in the islands. The development (or decommissioning) of a major oil facility, for example, can have a dramatic, singular effect.