In October 2006 it was announced that the population had reached 150 – a rise of more than 50 per cent since the 2002 buy-out. Willie McSporran, former chairman of the Heritage Trust, was quoted as saying: "The trust turned 300 years of population decline on its head by encouraging new development and the growth of the local economy. A sign of the surge of people wanting to relocate to Gigha is that we are struggling to meet the demand for housing despite building 18 new homes." The issues of island ownership are not unique to Gigha and consequently the island has been highlighted in an edition of the BBC series, "Countryfile".