Residents of Kildonnan on the Isle of Eigg have ditched their diesel generators in favour of a reliable and environmentally friendly hydro electric power supply.

Four out of the five households that make up the settlement on the east coast of the island are now connected to a shared hydro electricity scheme, recently installed by The Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust.

The small island isn't connected to the national grid power supply and, like the majority of the 78 island residents, the villagers relied on private diesel generators for their electricity needs.

However, the noisy generators were costly, dependant on regular shipments of diesel to the island, had to be switched off at night, and produced oil waste as a by-product, and the Trust were keen to switch to a cheaper and more reliable source of electricity.

Ian Leaver from the Trust explains that the work is part of their long-term plan to create sustainable communities on the island.  "Since the community took ownership of the island in 1997, the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust has been working to regenerate the economy and the communities on the island in a sustainable manner," he said.

"This is the last stage in a major renovation project to improve the quality of life for the residents of these houses.  Four out of the five houses have been completely rebuilt with damp proof courses, proper heating systems, renewed water and sewerage supplies and new electricity circuits.

"The hydro scheme seems to be performing well so far, and not even the recent dry spell has disrupted supply, but we'll still keep the diesel generators on hand for times of extreme demand, just in case."

The scheme is supplied from a nearby burn, which is used to power a small turbine.  Four houses are supplied at the moment, including a guesthouse, and a fifth will be connected once renovation work on it is complete.

The turbine is capable of producing in the region of 6kW of power for the bulk of the year and has sufficient capacity to power additional households if needed in the future.  The residents installed the hydro scheme themselves, and they will also be responsible for maintenance and repairs.

The £40,160 project received a total of £9200 from Lochaber Enterprise and the Community Economic Development programme, as well as funding from the Scottish Land Fund, the Scottish Clean Energy Efficiency Demonstration Scheme and the Gordon Fraser Trust.

Lochaber Enterprise's project officer for the Community Economic Development programme, Alison Boyle said:

"A sustainable, reliable and plentiful power source is fundamental to the long-term development of any community and we are pleased to have been able to assist this vital project come to fruition.  

"Development on Eigg has been turned around since it came into community ownership six years ago and the Trust and residents are to be congratulated for their continued efforts to regenerate the island.  They will continue to have our full support."