Today, 29th of June, is Armed Forces Day. Scotland’s census in 2022 recorded that 828 military veterans who had served in the UK Armed Forces were living in Orkney.
This was the first time that Scotland’s census had collected data on veterans.
Director of Census Statistics for NRS Jon Wroth-Smith said: “It provides a unique insight enabling governments, local authorities and charities to shape support for veterans and their families.”
For Scotland as a whole 176,100 military veterans were living in the country. Half of all veterans (50.4%) were aged 65 and over and just under one third (30.6%) were aged 50 to 64. While the majority of veterans in Scotland were male (88%), the census recorded 20,600 female veterans across Scotland.
The majority of veterans in Scotland (72%) served in the regular UK Armed Forces. A further 22% served in the reserve Armed Forces and 6% served in both.
Jon Wroth-Smith added: “The high percentage of veterans in the oldest groups is explained by war service up to 1948 and National Service which operated from 1939 to 1960. Around one in five people aged 85 and over had previously served in the UK Armed Forces. If we look specifically at males, we see that over half of all males aged 85 and over had previously served.”
The First column records the number of people 16 years and over, the Second column records the number of people recorded as UK armed forces veteran, and the Third column records the number of people Not a UK Armed Forces Veteran.
The Orkney Figures in more detail.
Total number of military veterans in Orkney: 828
Out of 10,631 Households in Orkney, 782 of them contain at least one military veteran.
- Previously served in the Reserve Armed Forces: 225
- Previously served in the Regular Armed Forces: 540
- Previously served in the Regular and Reserve Armed Forces: 59
| Age of veterans in Orkney | Reserves | Regular | Regular + Reserves |
| 25 – 29 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 30 – 34 | 3 | 17 | 1 |
| 35 – 39 | 5 | 22 | 2 |
| 40 – 44 | 6 | 23 | 0 |
| 45 – 49 | 9 | 25 | 3 |
| 50 – 54 | 13 | 36 | 9 |
| 55 – 59 | 28 | 53 | 9 |
| 60 – 64 | 47 | 49 | 5 |
| 65 – 69 | 18 | 48 | 2 |
| 70 – 74 | 24 | 59 | 9 |
| 75 -79 | 25 | 48 | 8 |
| 80 and over | 43 | 157 | 10 |
| Total | 225 | 540 | 59 |
Female Orkney Veterans:
- Previously served in the Reserves: 33
- Previously served in the Regulars: 78
- Previously served in the Regulars + Reserves: 5
Male Orkney Veterans:
- Previously served in the Reserves: 194
- Previously served in the Regulars: 465
- Previously served in the Regulars + Reserves: 56
The Veterans-Assist website has been set up to put in one place most of the resources needed to any veterans looking for advice and support.
Many of Orkney’s Veterans get together on the last Saturday of every month in an informal Veterans Breakfast Club. You can find out more about that here: Orkney Armed Forces’ and Veterans’ Breakfast Club
Fiona Grahame
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