Culture
This Scottish Island Is Nearly Free of Fossil Fuels
Eigg's main grid is powered mostly by wind, water, and sun.
The Scottish island of Eigg takes pride in its own self-reliance. Electricity included.
After being bought by the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust in 1997 (a partnership between island residents, the Highland Council, and the Scottish Wildlife Trust), Eigg has seen not only an uptick in population (currently home to 83 people) but also the creation of its own electrical grid after depending on diesel generators for years. As locals tell Reuters photographer Paul Hackett, Eigg's new grid gets as much as 95 percent of its energy from a mix of wind, hydro, and solar power.