Young adults living in rural areas were hit hard by social isolation during the pandemic YOUNG ADULTS living in rural Scotland have been hit hardest by loneliness during the pandemic according to a RuralCovidLife survey by Edinburgh University. More than 3000 people in rural communities across Scotland were polled in October and November 2020 to investigate the psychological, social and financial effects of the Covid-19 restrictions on people living in rural areas. When asked how lonely they were feeling, 32% of those aged 18 to 29 years old said they felt lonely most or all of the time. This compared with 3% in the 70 to 79 age group, and 8% of the total surveyed.