On 4 May, the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust hosted a visit by Paul MacLennan MSP, Minister for Housing, accompanied by local MSP, Emma Roddick.
Together they visited the recently refurbished Pier Centre with its new business hub, funded through the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and the Islands Programme, as well as the school, tree nursery, and the island brewery, a cooperative business powered by renewables and island woodfuel.
It was good to showcase the trust’s achievements to encourage population retention whilst also highlighting the challenges that Eigg, like all other islands, encounters in its endeavour to build affordable homes in the current difficult financial context. Paul MacLennan certainly listened to the islanders’ strong concerns regarding new building standards precluding the future use of wood stoves when the island’s renewable grid does not allow enough power for electric heating and locally produced woodfuel is an essential part of its circular economy.
The visit to Eigg’s new small homes construction business was also an opportunity to discuss the need to change planning regulations to allow for more flexibility in housing size. Altogether a fruitful visit, which demonstrated that giving islands the power and the means to develop their assets was the way to foster population growth, as was mentioned in parliament on 26 May as part of the discussion on the government’s plans to address depopulation on our islands!