Many young people are leaving the Highlands and Islands

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) hopes the region's population will rise to 500,000 by 2025 to help make the economy stronger.

However, research has found that thousands of young people move away from the area once they leave school.

HIE board members have asked for a report on the gap in 16 to 35s.

Douglas Cowan, head of infrastructure and communities, told a meeting of HIE's board in Inverness that the organisation hopes to see the population return to 500,000 - a figure last seen in 1851.

School leavers

At present there is estimated to be a population of 440,000.

Mr Cowan said one solution to the issue was helping school leavers to set up in business locally.

Another, he said, will be Highland higher education institute UHI Millennium Institute attaining full university status.

It had been hoped this would happen next year, however, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education said more time was needed for the institute to become the University of the Highlands and Islands.

The agency said UHI programmes were of a high quality, but it has asked for a stronger university structure.