Monday 4 February 2008

Power on at last for remote isle

Border Mail
Saturday 2/2/2008 Page: 8

LONDON: Life on a remote Scottish island became much much brighter yesterday when islanders flicked on the electricity for the first time. The 87 residents on the Isle of Eigg were celebrating the fact they will no longer have to rely on old diesel generators as their main, but intermittent, power source. Instead they will be able to toast bread, flick on the lights and boil the kettle whenever they like.

The tiny Hebridean island is using a combination of five wind turbines, solar and hydroelectric energy hooked up to 6km of cables to deliver its new continuous power source. "I've just gone and bought a toaster for the first time," Sue Kirk, the island's shopkeeper, said. "I'm going to avoid going on a mad spending spree but with the weather the way it is, it's tempting to get a tumble dryer as well because it's been raining non-stop since Christmas." Islanders campaigned for two decades to get electricity on Eigg.

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