The Isle of Eigg

Is a place

A community

And something of a legend in our lifetime

Shaped like a giant letter ‘d’, Eigg stretches a few miles from north to south and a few across at its broadest part. That’s enough to give huge variety of landscape, vegetation and wildlife. Sheltered bays and wilder coasts; woods planted and wild; huge cliffs and smaller crags; croftland meadows and farm fields; wetlands, heaths and rockpools – those are part of the landscape here.

Add otters, eagles, orchids, butterflies, gulls, geese, ferns and more.

Now think of those as where a thriving community of more than 80 people lives, including many youngsters. Eigg became world-famous in 1996-97 when its people, in partnership with The Highland Council and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, bought the island. Taking control of their own destiny was a bold move. But it worked, boosting employment, encouraging new immigration and benefiting cultural and natural heritage alike. One of the Creative Connections course facilitators, Kenny Taylor, was part of the buy-out campaign planning team.

Eigg is now an inspiration for many far beyond its beautiful shores. It shows how much can be achieved by people who dare to dream of better ways to live in community, share resources and care for the environment. The island is a UK-leader in use of sustainable energy and a popular place for people to visit to enjoy wildlife, music and peaceful landscapes. Find out more about Eigg here.

The course gives participants a taste of all those things, providing ideas that can continue to stimulate your own thoughts and actions once you return home.