It has long been the view that a growing economy and expanding population makes each succeeding generation better off.

What happens if that growth pattern goes into reverse? Argyll is likely to find out over the next 25 years.

Population projections predict that people of working age will reduce by a third. This will be coupled with an overall population decline of only 15 per cent.

The sole growth segment of the demographics is the over 65s.

The steady growth in the number of the retired persons accompanied with a steep drop in the working population is going to bring severe strain to public services and local businesses.

It is not the first time that Scotland has suffered catastrophic falls in population.

After Culloden the highlands were cleared of people to make way for sheep and deer.

That was a grim experience and reminds us that a rapidly falling population can make life very difficult for the poor. The scale of the challenge before us is hard to grasp.

The council has a single overarching aim. It is to grow the economy and the population.

In the face of these statistics similarities with King Canute spring to mind. In this case the council is trying to stem the population tide from going out

It is dispiriting to have a goal which is gradually drifting ever further out of reach as the years go by. Yet that is the mantra that is promoted repeatedly.

What can be done about it? A couple of years ago the council hosted a conference on this issue. A forum was set up with local business leader to consider options.

In their report their key recommendation was to improve the infrastructure to make it easier to run a business from Argyll.

The buzz word is connectivity which encompasses both transport routes and digital infrastructure. They considered that superfast broadband and mobile telephony are both critical for business. At present there are just too many places in Argyll where mobile phones have no signal.

Road improvements require more than a bit of road straightening here and there.

Ambition extends to making a fixed link from Dunoon to the Central Belt. The Council cannot undertake projects of this scale on its own. It needs government help.

People will only come and live in Argyll if there are good job opportunities. More jobs will only come if we have a significant improvement in our infrastructure.

This is the challenge facing Argyll now.