Creaking hospitals in Fort William and Lerwick are a step closer to being replaced after the SNP struck a deal to pass its Holyrood budget.
Islanders dependent on ferries were also given fresh funding commitments which could help build new ships and bring down costs for youngsters.
It came as SNP finance chief was able to reach an agreement with the Lib Dems and Greens after months of negotiating.
Here’s how households across the Highlands and islands could benefit.
1 – Belford Hospital to be replaced
The SNP promised to invest in a replacement for Fort William’s Belford Hospital when the draft budget was outlined in December.
That vow came nearly two decades after proposals were first mooted to upgrade the ageing hospital, opened in 1965.
The Lib Dems have long listed the project as a demand at the top of the party’s wish-list.
It was feared progress stalled last year when NHS construction was put on hold.
But the upgrade is now set to go ahead after the budget’s approval.
A new hospital is expected to cost more than £160 million.
It was previously hoped the new site would be open by 2028.
2 – Lerwick hospital replacement becomes ‘high priority’
Proposals to replace Lerwick’s Gilbert Bain hospital will now be moved to the top of the SNP’s agenda when considering where to invest.
Islanders have long complained about the state of the biggest hospital covering Shetland.
A petition launched over three years ago said the facility needs to be “fit for the 21st century”.
A Scottish Government insider said proposed projects being moved to the top of the pile will be “considered carefully”.
But they warned it could depend on how much money Holyrood gets from Westminster.
Shetland Lib Dem MSP Beatrice Wishart believes a new hospital is vital.
She told The Press and Journal: “The Gilbert hospital is over 60 years old and if you go in on a rainy day you’ll find buckets catching water from leaky ceilings.”
3 – Ferry boost for islanders
Orkney was one of the big winners from the budget deal agreed between the SNP and Lib Dems.
The Scottish Government has given the council more flexibility in how it manages £20 million to improve connections between islands.
Orkney MSP Liam McArthur said this could help the local authority purchase new ferries to overhaul the existing fleet.
“The need to replace ferries in Orkney has been an issue of the utmost importance for me for many years,” he said.
The Scottish Greens also backed the SNP’s budget, nine months after a power-sharing deal between the two parties broke down.
They were able to secure a commitment from the government to give free inter-island travel for all youngsters aged 22 and under.
Highlands and Islands Green MSP Ariane Burgess said: “Rural life comes with its own form of taxes – far too many things are made more expensive, so this is a welcome move.”
Conversation