The Creation of Airline Services in the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland: Impact and Legacy

Abstract

In the space of less than a month in the spring of 1933, the aeroplane established itself on formal commercial and medical operations across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Aviation quickly became an integral part of life in the region, providing not only a quicker link to major population centres but also better connections within these distributed communities. That it did so was due to substantial work by a handful of far-sighted, talented and tenacious individuals. This chapter explores the story of how they established these air services and why the legacy of their pioneering work remains in the route network, and associated infrastructure, that exist today and which continue to support the social and economic sustainability of the region.