WHEN residents took control of their future after decades of problems with absentee landlords on Eigg, it marked the first community buyout of an island.

After years of wrangling, locals bought the tiny Inner Hebridean island for £1.75 million in 1997, bringing to an end years of instability and lack of investment by private owners who had control of everything from jobs to housing for the inhabitants.

Since then, the population of the island has grown from 64 to about 90 and achievements include the introduction of round-the-clock electricity for the first time in the island's history. It is also financially sound.

Maggie Fyffe, secretary of The Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust, who has lived on the island for 38 years, said the buyout had improved life on the island, which had been "pretty drastic" beforehand.

She said: "When you live here, you don't think about it much, but when people visit who have not been here for years they are always amazed at what has happened and the difference here.

"We are not perfect, we have still a long way to go and we don't have a huge amount of income. But I would say the difference between then and now is night and day really.

"The main thing is folk have the opportunity to actually have their say in what does happen here. That never existed before."

Past lairds of the island include by Keith Schellenberg, a controversial figure who became known for driving his Rolls-Royce Phantom across the island on visits and feuding with the locals. He sold up in 1994 to eccentric German artist Maruma, before the islanders joined together to buy Eigg.

Following the buyout, life on the island has not been without controversy. In 2003, a German journalist caused a furore after claiming his visit to Eigg uncovered drug-taking, piles of empty beer cans and anti-social behaviour.

Fyffe dismissed his comments as "particularly offensive" and pointed to the success of the 2008 island electrification project as an example of how the community can work together.

In terms of finances, Fyffe said the island was still solvent 17 years on from the buyout, despite not having any major sources of income.

"We have done quite a lot of big projects so I think we are doing quite well," she said.

"In places like this which are so remote, folk are used to not having the services which other people expect. The only way to deal with it is to do it yourself - and because we own the land, it makes it easier to do that."

Fyffe added: "We have lots of different backgrounds, but the one thing that glues everyone together is Eigg.

"It is a way of life - people regard it as special and want to keep it that way."