Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has welcomed news that the area's population is continuing to grow.

The latest population estimates released by the General Register of Scotland (GROS) show the rate of growth across the Highlands and Islands in 2004-2005 reached 0.6 per cent - double the Scottish average.

• All five local authority areas which come entirely within HIE's boundary saw their estimated populations rise. 
• In the Western Isles, the figure rose by 110 to 26,260, up 0.4 per cent.
• Highland grew by 2,250 to 211,340, up 1.1 per cent (the highest of all council areas in Scotland, equal with Aberdeenshire and Falkirk).
• Moray had 400 more people, raising its total to 88,120, up 400.
• Orkney's population was up 90 to 19,590, a rise of 0.5 per cent.
• Shetland's rose by 60 to 22,000, an increase of 0.3 per cent.
• Only Argyll and Bute, which comes partially into the HIE area, saw a fall of 340 (0.4 per cent) to 90,870. Much of this is believed to represent movement of armed forces at the Faslane base, which is outwith the HIE area.
• The main driver of population growth across the HIE area was in-migration.

A key aspiration of HIE's strategy, A Smart, Successful Highlands and Islands, launched last summer, is a growth in the area's population from the then total of 435,000 to around half a million over 20 years.

At the launch of the strategy, HIE chairman William Roe said: "We are actively welcoming new residents to the area - and we need many more."

The figures released this week suggest the area remains on course to meet that aspiration for population growth. 

Alastair Nicolson, HIE's head of strategic planning and research, said the development agency was delighted to see population growth happening across the Highlands and Islands.

"This is very encouraging news from the General Register which shows that the area is on track to meet HIE's 20-year aspiration of becoming a region of 500,000 people.

"To put it in context, the recent population growth in our area represents a good crowd at a Scottish First Division football match. To realise our goal, over the next 20 years we need to more than fill Hampden Park."