EIGG Island Going Green

Wishing you all…

isleofeigg — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:25:35 +0000

A happy and prosperous 2012 from the wee isle!! Not sure where to start in bringing you up to speed with the antics of the island…. We have been battered like many other places by some severe weather since before Christmas causing severe devastation to our woods mainly. Thankfully we had no casualties throughout the frightful storms and minimal damage to homes, unfortunately the same can’t be said for our woods. The Lodge gardens sustained an enormous amount of trees down and the Manse woods has been closed to the public due to the danger of hanging and absolute chaos of trees lying everywhere. A survey has been attempted to investigate the damage with a count of at least 400 trees down just in the Manse woods. I tried to take pictures to go along with this post but it is impossible to show fully the calamitous scale of damage to our much loved woodland. The other peace of bad news is the Chilean flame tree was unfortunately hit in the big storm before Christmas. Apparently it was the oldest one standing in Britain and measured the tallest at 90feet. Cuttings have been taken by the gardener with fingers crossed of germination and hopes of cutting it back and staking it upright as the roots are still intact but in the meantime we can only hope that it will give us the flaming red flowers once again that we look forward to in the spring. The next step is under way for our woods as a team are meeting to discuss how the damage should be taken care of and an overall woodland plan needs to be assessed for the clearing, replanting and funding such a huge process. Once the winds finally calmed, the atmosphere and general cheer seemed to return and with the boats finally sailing as normal visitors and family were able to visit and turkeys were all delivered for Christmas! We had a small spell of a little snow before Christmas but none over the festive period, just typical after getting the sledges well in advance this year! New Year was celebrated with more friends and family arriving along with an exceptional 6 piece line up of musicians to dance the bells in with style! Now with the festive period enjoyed and only memories of relaxation, scrumptious food and indulgence in a small bit if liquor are in the past as our minds turn to the new year ahead and focus on our goals of the months ahead. The first and foremost is to organise a plan to clear up the storm damage. Plans are also afoot in looking at An Laimhrig, the pier centre which houses the shop, tearoom and craft shop to possibly upgrade the building to allow a better layout and storage space for the businesses also the wider area around the building is being looked at. This falls into the Zero Waste Zone initiative that we are adopting this year and further recycling and waste issues are being addressed although the pier area is an area that is hard to get the balance right as it is a working environment meaning that all fuels, farming apparatus, animal feed, animal areas for transportation of animals arrival and departures along with the storage deliveries to the businesses so it has to be thought out carefully to be effective to deal with all its demand but without forgetting it is the first impression to visitors on arrival. That being a quick mention of a few larger projects on the go and as always there is many other smaller projects ticking along like a first for this year being a Craft and fresh produce fairs in the community hall. We had a trial one early in December which went very well and showed an amazing array of arts, crafts and baking so visitors will be in for a treat or two this year. We plan to have the next fair on Easter weekend and then every Monday from June onwards throughout the summer season so watch this space and we will wow you with our talents! All the best for the new year.

Opposition to a fish farm on the Isle of Eigg

isleofeigg — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:55:12 +0000

Please go to http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/stopeiggfishfarm for more information, sign the petition and continue to spread the word! Cheers

More Awards…

isleofeigg — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:30:38 +0000

Yes, Eigg has won another award!! A very tasteful glass award from the British Renewable Energy Awards. The Renewable Energy Association celebrate the achievements of companies and individuals who have done most to take forward Renewable Energy in the UK.

Hosted by UK BIG Lottery Fund Chairman, Peter Ainsworth, the Awards named Windelectric’s Peter Edwards and Godfrey Bevan, one of the founders of the Renewable Energy Association (REA), as joint Champions for their outstanding lifetime contribution to renewable energy. John Baldwin was also commended for his dedication and ongoing commitment to AD and biomethane.

The REA’s Chief Executive, Gaynor Hartnell said, “These awards recognise outstanding achievement in the British renewable energy sector. They are a tribute to innovation and excellence. The exceptional quality of all the shortlisted entries serves to demonstrate the exacting standards, talent and originality within this industry.”

The REA received a record amount of over two hundred nominations for this year’s Awards. Award winners and runners up included:

Pioneer Award

Runners up: Sainsbury’s and Mellington Cow Power

Winner: Beech Properties

Community Award

Runner up: Udny Community Wind Turbine

Winner: Isle of Eigg

Region Award

Runner up: Cornwall Council

Winner: The Welsh Assembly Government

Installer Award

Winner: EvoEnergy

Innovator Award

Runners up: Enecsys and Vykson

Winner: Didcot Biomethane Project Team

Project Developer Award

Runner up: Clearfleau

Winner: Ecotricity / Fen Farm Solar Park

Company Award

Runner up: Forest Fuels

Winner: Solarsense

Champion Award

Winners: Peter Edwards – Wind Electric Godfrey Bevan

Inspiring others

isleofeigg — Tue, 24 May 2011 10:16:52 +0000

Here is a great wee film made by a middle school in Carteret that has been working with the children in Eigg Primary School through the wonders of technology this project was able to happen. Isn’t is great when technology works!!

The Children from both sides learnt a lot from each other but the funniest little story of cultural differences when they were discussing food was Pigs in blankets. The children in Carteret took a moment to digest the information and with much hilarity realised that our kids were still talking about food and it isn’t that cold here that we have to keep our pigs in blankets!!Click on the link below to view the shrt film.

TransAtlantic Connections

Rhubarb Crumble

isleofeigg — Tue, 24 May 2011 10:03:54 +0000

A mouth watering seasonal comfort food!

You will need:

Rhubarb (you can add any other fruit that takes your fancy!)

Sugar to taste or half the weight of fruit

Crumble

4oz Flour

2oz Porridge oats

Pinch of salt

4oz Butter/marge

4oz Demerara sugar

Firstly remove skin from the rhubarb (optional) and place in a bowl with the sugar. Add a tablespoon of water and soak for as long as you have, overnight is ideal. This extracts the juices from the rhubarb and produces a tastier fruit sauce. Once soaked cook your fruit gently in a pan until the fruit has softened and place it in your oven dish. *Note; If, you have soaked the fruit overnight the liquid will have at least doubled and you do not need to add further water. If you didn’t soak the fruit for long enough add a few more tablespoons of water before gently cooking in a pan.

For the crumble put the flour, oats, salt and butter into a bowl and work together with your hands until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the Demerara sugar and sprinkle your mixture over the fruit.

Bake for 15mins at 375⁰F/gas mark 5 and then reduce temperature to 350⁰F/gas mark 4 and bake for a further 35/40mins or until the top is lightly browned.

Serve with cream or custard and enjoy!!

New Volunteering Programme

isleofeigg — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:22:56 +0000

New volunteer opportunities are available on the Isle of Eigg this year. For further information please click here

Spring is in the air – or is it!?!

isleofeigg — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:41:52 +0000

Well spring was almost in the air as the temperatures rose and thoughts of working out in the garden were becoming more appealing but this last week has put a stop to that as the temperatures plummeted and snow is lying on the hills again! Apologies for the lack of news but really there hasn’t been much to write about, folk have been catching a bit of winter down time after the festive period with the last month starting to work up to getting accommodation ready for the summer season and generally geared towards visitors returning to the island. On the community side of things the main developments have been catching up on the paperwork side of things and a lot of discussions over the past few months to ensure a clear focus for the our future green activities. But in saying that this month has seen a welcome bit of activity up at our PV panels. Finally after many failed attempts of getting to our wee isle since November, Wind and Sun have managed to return to install the additional panels to Eigg Electrics PV panel array. This brings our PV array from 10kW to 30kW providing we get the sunshine, so we are all hoping for a sunny summer this year to test them to their full capacity! The Wind and Sun team didn’t have it easy, they might have had a better crossing on the boat this time but the weather conditions throughout the installation was far from ideal as the wind blew along with snow, sleet and even a bit of hailstones thrown in there for good measure!! Our own Eigg Electric team braved the weathers also and assisted and learnt the process of a large PV installation along with a lot of holding the panels in place to prevent them blowing away (!) before they were fixed into place. I only went up to the site to take some pictures and the combination of wind and snow was quite fierce and absolutely freezing – our full compliments goes to the team for working above and beyond the original contract! More activities are planned for this weekend with the previously mentioned post of our Eigg Electric Day on Sunday and also on Saturday weather permitting will be another Orchard Day planting a further 30 or so fruit trees expanding on the very successful newly created Orchard. Preparations are also being made as a shed has been made to go onto the site, as we all know all the best things come from the shed!!

Watch out for this weekend Lunar Perigee on March the 19^th as the moon is at it’s closest to earth since 1993! Enough madness occurs on a normal full moon who can tell what this one will bring, the mind boggles!!

Just in time for a snow shower!

"Hang onto that panel before it blows away!"

And again!

The full array is now to large to fit in one shot!

And of course the sun shines once the work is complete!!

Our Solar PV panels were funded from with some of our NESTA Big Green Challenge award and from our Ashden UK Gold Award. THANK YOU.

EIGG ELECTRIC DAY

isleofeigg — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:21:58 +0000

As part of Climate Week, we’re having an Eigg Electric Day!

Sunday 20^th March

Come and find out how our community Electricity scheme works!

You can choose between a short or a long tour followed by soup, a slide show and a chance to ask questions at the Tea Room.

11.00am

Meet at the Eigg Electric Control Shed for tour of the Control Shed, Battery Room and PV Panels followed by either a visit to Laig Hydro or to the Wind Turbines

(Transport will be provided to Laig and for those unable to walk up to the Wind Turbines)

12 noon

If you don’t want to do the longer tours to the Wind Turbines or Hydro, but do want to know more about how Eigg Electric works, take the shorter tour of the Control Shed, Battery Room and PV Panels. Meet at the Eigg Electric Control Shed at 12 noon

1.15pm (or when everyone gets there)

Everyone back to the Tea Room for soup and a short slide show explaining how much electricity the system produces at different times of year, which of the three generators produces the most power and feedback on how the ‘traffic light’ system has helped reduce the use of the diesel generator and a Question and Answer session

Sign up here!

isleofeigg — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:51:39 +0000

Kicking of 2011 with a few incredibly worthwhile campaigns for you to sign up to…..

Half of all fish caught in the north sea are thrown back overboard dead! Go to www.fishfight.net for more information and sign the petition.

Along with campaigning to look after our fish, we do need to look after our fishermen too…!

The stornoway coastguard is under threat of being closed! A new consultation has been proposed to reduce the stations around the UK coast if you go to www.stornowaycg.co.uk to find out more and how you can help support the campaign.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

isleofeigg — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:42:29 +0000

NOLLAIG CHRIDHEIL AGUS BLIADHNA MHATH UR

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support throughout 2010 and to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2011….!!