Responses received by the Scottish Conservatives from a series of Freedom of Information requests to Scotland’s councils highlight the time people of all ages are living in temporary accommodation across the county.

Among the most “appalling” cases is a child spending over seven years in temporary accommodation in Edinburgh, with another individual spending close to 2,900 days without a permanent residence in the capital.

The longest wait occurred in Argyll and Bute where someone spent a “scarcely believable” 13 years in temporary accommodation.

Shadow housing secretary Meghan Gallacher said the stats “should shame” the Scottish Government.

Meghan added that ministers continue to be detached from the reality facing families across Scotland and urged to change their approach on housing and deliver the homes people across Scotland need.

Scottish Conservative shadow housing secretary Meghan Gallacher said: “These waits are an absolute disgrace. They should shame an SNP government whose inaction has resulted in a national housing emergency.

“Nobody should be spending years languishing in temporary accommodation, yet that is what kids and adults alike are suffering on the SNP’s watch.

“It is scarcely believable that someone was stuck without somewhere to call home for 13 years or a child suffered for over seven years in temporary accommodation which is often unacceptable to live in.

“SNP ministers continue to be detached from the reality facing far too many people and just don’t get it.

“These figures should be the wake-up call for them to ditch their current housing policies and accept they are not working.

“Instead, they should urgently outline a plan to deliver the homes Scotland needs and reduce the numbers facing the huge uncertainty of temporary accommodation.”

Housing minister Paul McLennan said: “The Scottish Government is determined to reduce the use of temporary accommodation and ensure that it is indeed temporary.

“The key to that is increasing housing stock and we have a strong track record by supporting the delivery of more than 133,000 affordable homes since 2007, with more than 94,000 of those being for social rent, 45% more affordable homes per head of population than in England and 70% more than in Wales.

“We continue to build on that record with almost £600 million of investment this year plus an additional £80m over the next two years to ease the pressure on temporary accommodation by increasing the availability of affordable homes through acquisitions and bringing long-term empty council properties back into use.

“In 2024-25, we are providing local authorities with more than £14 billion to deliver a range of services including homelessness.

“This includes an annual share of £30.5m for homelessness prevention measures, an annual share of £8m to support the implementation of rapid rehousing transition plans and an additional £2m to local authorities facing the most sustained temporary accommodation pressures.

“The aim of rapid rehousing is to reduce the use of temporary accommodation by moving people into settled accommodation as quickly as possible.”