Isobel Holbourn: I’m a crafter in Foula,
I came to Foula in 1956, and I’ve been here
more or less ever since.
So it’s about 50 years, over 50years I’ve
been here, we had no electricity at all to
start with then the very first electricity
I ever had was we got a small second hand
generator, diesel generator.
It was just very short periods and as you
couldn’t afford the diesel ‘cause none
of us had much money, so you couldn’t really
depend on it.
You didn’t have the fuel and you didn’t
have the well the certainty that it was going
to work.
The first lottery money that we got brought
in that extra hydropower, which combined with
our solar panels, and the diesel generator
backing it up.
We were able to ensure 24 hour electricity
which was just an absolute God sent.
So there were all sorts of little bits and
pieces, pros and cons that that 24 hour power
solved.
It was just a huge number of things that you
were able to do that you weren’t able to
do before.
Foula has a population of 28 men, women and
children so owe to that number of people we
have to do all the services.
We have to man the ferry, we have to run the
Post office, do all our services like water,
maintaining them with just the scheme, everything
has to be done owe at that number of people.
So the numbers are really crucially low at
the moment.
The potential therefore services to be better,
and perhaps encourage another couple of young
farmers to come into the island in the Foula
context that is a very, very important and
very wonderful prospect.
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