THE largest community-owned wind farm in the UK will be built in the Western Isles thanks to almost £1 million of lottery funding.
The three commercial-sized turbines will be built on the Isle of Lewis and are set to generate more than £36m for community projects over 25 years through the sale of the green power to the National Grid.
Islanders will choose which projects to fund with their profits, with a hospice, a youth programme and a fuel poverty project amongst the first good causes.
The cost of setting up the The Beinn Ghrideag wind farm will be covered by a £999,718 award through the Big Lottery Fund's Growing Community Assets programme.
Donald MacSween, chairman of Point & Sandwick Development Trust, which runs the development, said the funding signalled a "quiet revolution" for the Isle of Lewis and was wonderful news for its residents.
He said: "We have a 25-year plan which will lead to a huge change for everyone who lives here. It will give us the tools to turn ourselves around. We will no longer have to rely on subsidies and government handouts.
"We will now be able to help reverse the ageing population and declining demographic which currently has a negative impact on everyone here.
"Through this project we will be able to provide jobs, training and amenities so we can give our young people more reasons to stay, live, work and prosper in the community where they were born."
The wind farm will be four miles west of Stornoway.
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