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 Scotland's population was yesterday officially estimated at its highest for a quarter of a century. The main reason for the rise? Migration. The main source of the newcomers? England.

Net "in" migration - from all sources - is now at its highest since records begin in the early 1950s, said Duncan Macniven, Scotland's registrar-general, in his official annual report on the nation's population. But the number of people moving to Scotland from the rest of the UK far outstrips migrants with a higher profile, like tens of thousands of Poles and other eastern Europeans who have made their home here since British borders were opened up to them in 2004.

Orkney is at the head of this demograhic curve ball.  In many of the outer islands you are more likely to hear southern vowels than the expected Orcadian lilt. Fully 736 people are thought to have moved to the islands in 2006-2007. Half of those were from other parts of Scotland. Most of the rest were from England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Just 45 were officially categorised as "overseas" migrants.

The result: net migration to Orkney of 135, more than cancelling out a modest birth rate and continuing emigration. Orkney's population rose half a percent in the year.