If you’re looking to unplug from the grid, you might want to head to Eigg, a small island off the coast of Scotland. Eigg intends to become the first island to rely entirely on renewable energy sources, Al Jazeera reports. The island, part of the Hebrides archipelago, is in the process of creating a network of solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric plants to replace the individual diesel generators that previously served as its primary source of electricity.
The tiny isle of Eigg, off Scotland’s north-west coast, can feel like a land outside time. Buzzards, ravens, and even golden eagles swoop over heather-filled fields. The occasional car moves ponderously along the island’s few kilometres of road. A sporadic ferry service provides the only connection with the outside world. The 31-square-kilometre island’s hundred or so inhabitants call this languid pace of life “Eigg Time”. But theisland, part of the Hebrides archipelago, is proving that a relaxed approach is no barrier to making big changes. Eigg is firmly on course to become the first island entirely self-sufficient in renewable power. Dotted around the picturesque island are solar panels, wind turbines and hydroelectric schemes that provide almost all of the residents’ energy needs.
