Editing Inner Hebrides (section)

===Human===
{{Historical populations
|type =
|footnote =<ref name=GRO/><ref name=NRS/>
|2001 | 18257
|2011 | 18948
}}
[[File:Laphroaig Distillery.jpg|thumb|[[Laphroaig]] distillery, [[Islay]]]]
The inhabited islands of the Inner Hebrides had a population of 18,257 at the 2001 census,<ref name=GRO/> and this grew to 18,948 in 2011.<ref name=NRS/> During the same period [[List of Scottish islands|Scottish island]] populations as a whole grew by 4% to 103,702.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-23711202 "Scotland's 2011 census: Island living on the rise"]. BBC News. Retrieved 18 August 2013.</ref>
There are a further 44 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than {{convert|74|acre|ha|0|order=flip|abbr=on}}.{{refn|There are 43 such islands recorded at [[List of Inner Hebrides]] and in addition there is [[Lunga, Firth of Lorn|Lunga]], which had a population in 2001 but not in 2011.<ref name=NRS/>|group=Note}} Records for the last date of settlement for the smaller islands are incomplete, but most of them were inhabited at some point during the [[Neolithic]], [[Iron Age]], [[Early Middle Ages|Early Historic]] or [[Viking|Norse]] periods. In common with the other main island chains of Scotland, many of the smaller and more remote islands were abandoned during the 19th and 20th centuries, in some cases after continuous habitation since prehistoric times. These islands had been perceived as relatively self-sufficient agricultural economies,<ref>See for example Hunter (2000) pp. 152–158</ref> but a view developed among both islanders and outsiders that the more remote islands lacked the essential services of a modern industrial economy.<ref>See for example Maclean (1977) Chapter 10: "Arcady Despoiled" pp. 125–35</ref> However, the populations of the larger islands grew overall by more than 12% from 1981 to 2001.<ref name=GRO/>

The main commercial activities are tourism, [[croft (land)|crofting]], fishing and [[Scotch whisky|whisky distilling]] (centred on [[Islay whisky|Islay]] but also including [[Talisker distillery|Talisker]] in [[Skye]], [[Isle of Jura Single Malt]] and [[Tobermory (distillery)|Tobermory and Ledaig]] in [[Isle of Mull|Mull]]). Overall, the area is relatively reliant on primary industries and the public sector; there is a dependence on self-employment and micro-business, and most parts are defined by [[Highlands and Islands Enterprise]] as economically "Fragile Areas". However, the islands are well placed to exploit renewable energy, particularly onshore and offshore wind; and the [[Sleat]] peninsula of Skye is an example of a more economically robust area.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101012202520/http://www.hie.co.uk/highlands-and-islands/area-information/argyll-and-the-islands/economic-profile.html "Argyll and the Islands - economic profile"]. HIE. Retrieved 28 December 2010.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101013045330/http://www.hie.co.uk/highlands-and-islands/area-information/lochaber-skye-and-wester-ross/economic-profile.html "Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross - economic profile']. HIE. Retrieved 28 December 2010.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101217130006/http://hie.co.uk/support-for-communities/growing-fragile-communities/default.html "Growing fragile communities"]. HIE. Retrieved 28 December 2010.</ref> Some of the islands have [[development trust]]s that support the local economy.<ref>[http://www.dtascot.org.uk/content/directory-of-members "Directory of Members"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100719214140/http://www.dtascot.org.uk/content/directory-of-members |date=19 July 2010 }} DTA Scotland. Retrieved 15 July 2007.</ref>