[Dòmhnall Angaidh Moireasdan – Preseantair] Nise, tha a’ chompanaidh Point and Sandwick Power ag ràdh gum faodadh iad barrachd air na trì muilnean-gaoithe a tha iad a’ cruthachadh an-dràsta a thogail. Tha bunaitean nam muilnean-gaoithe air Beinn Ghrìdeag an iar air Steòrnabhagh deiseil, ach cha tig na muilnean fhèin chun an t-Earraich agus tha a’ chompanaidh a-nis a’ beachdachadh air ciamar a thèid an teachd-a-teachd bho na muilnean-gaoithe a chosg. Tha Aonghas Dòmhnallach ag aithris.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Chan eil ach mu thrì mìosan bho thòisich an companaidh a’ dèanamh rathad gun làraich far am bi na muilnean-gaoithe nan seasamh. Tha dùil ri na muilnean-gaoithe anns a’ Ghearrain agus tha an suidheachadh a bha a’ coimhead gu math garbh, mì-ghealltanach bho chionn trì mìosan, gu math eadar-dhealaichte a-nise.
[Dòmhnall Iain MacSuain] Bha engineers mìorbhaileach math againn ag obair dhuinn, cha deach bacadh sam bith a chur orra, cha robh mòran droch shìde ann agus rinn iad an obair gu math sgiobalta agus gu math grinn, mar a tha thu a’ faicinn. Tha e fìor, air a thòisich iad, gu robh iad a’ dol tro bhoglach a bha dìreach uabhasach, ach rinn iad a’ chùis air agus tha iad air fàgail an àite agus na làraich gu math grinn agus sgiobalt’.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Ged a bha speilleag ri fheitheamh mus d’ fhuair iad a h-uile càil a thoirt gun h-ìre-sa, tha an sgioba a-nise a’ beachdachadh air am bu chòir dhaibh muilnean-gaoithe eile a thogail, a chionn ‘s gu bheil iad a’ faicinn gu bheil buannachdan mòra a’ dol a thighinn asta.
[Dòmhnall Iain MacSuain] Uill, mar tha feadhainn air a bhith ag ràdh rium, ma tha sibh a’ dol a thogail trì, nach eil a cheart cho math dhuibh togail sia, agus chan eil mi a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil càil sam bith a’ dol a chur bacadh oirnn. Coimhead ri togail tuathan-gaoith eile, agus tha mi an dòchas gur e sin na thachras, airson tha buannachd mhòr dhan a' choimhearsnachd mar a tha sinn a’ faicinn, agus chan eil mi a’ smaoineachadh gum bi muinntir an Rubha is Sanndabhaig riaraichte le dìreach a trì, tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gum bi iad ag iarraidh co-dhiù a sia, no ‘s dòcha naoi no barrachd.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Agus ‘s e an amas a th’ aig a’ chompanaidh, mar a th’ aig na companaidhean coimhearsnachd eile, ath-bheothachadh a thoirt air an eaconamaidh agus na cothroman cosnaidh a chruthaicheas sin do dhaoine òga gu h-àraidh.
[Dòmhnall Iain MacSuain] Tha coimhearsnachdan an seo gu math truagh, tha an òigridh a’ falbh agus tha an fheadhainn a th’ air fhàgail a’ fàs sean, feumach air goireasan, agus duine sam bith a tha a’ fuireach anns an àit’ aig a bheil eòlas air an àit’, nach eil fhios aige gu feum an t-àite a tha seo mòran brosnachaidh air an eaconamaidh. Airson tha an eaconamaidh againn gu math truagh, tha sinn an urra ris a’ chomhairle is an urra ris a’ bhòrd slàint’, agus chan ann mar sin bu chòir dha a bhith. Agus bhiodh e mìorbhaileach math a’ faicinn an coimhearsnachd fhein a’ cruthachadh obraichean dhan òigridh againn, le airgead a bha iad air a chosnadh iad fhèin.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Chan fhaicear a’ chòrr an seo gu Earrach, ach bidh iad an dòchas gun toir seo cinneach a’ dh’Earraich air cothroman cosnaidh agus eaconamaidh na sgìre. Aonghas Dòmhnallach, BBC An Là, air Beinn Ghrìdeag.
[Donald Angie Morrison – Presenter] Now, the Point and Sandwick Power company claim they could build more than the three windmills they’ve created just now. The foundations of the windmills on Beinn Ghrìdeag, west of Stornoway, are ready, but the windmills themselves will not arrive until the Spring, and the company are now considering how the income from the windmills will be spent. Angus MacDonald reports.
[Angus MacDonald – Reporter] It’s only around three months since the company started the road to the site where the windmills will stand. The windmills are expected in February, and the situation which looked grave and unpromising three months ago, is very different now.
[Donald John MacSween] We had wonderfully good engineers working for us, there was no delay or bad weather and they completed the work quickly and rather nicely, as you can see. It’s true, when they started, they went through awful bogs, but they completed the work and they’ve left the place and site nice and tidy.
[Angus MacDonald – Reporter] Though they had to wait a while before they got everything to this stage, the team are now considering if they should build more windmills, as they’re seeing the benefits that come from them.
[Donald John MacSween] Well, as some have said to me, if you’re going to build three, aren’t you as well to build six, and I don’t think there will be anything to restrict that. We’re looking to building other wind farms, and I hope that happens, as there is a large benefit to be gained by the community as we can see, and I don’t think the people of Point and Sandwick will be satisfied with only three, I think they’ll want at least six, or maybe nine or more.
[Angus MacDonald – Reporter] And it’s the aim of the company, like many other community companies, to revive the economy and to create employment opportunities for young people especially.
[Donald John MacSween] The communities here are quite poor, the youth are leaving and those who are left are growing old, needing services, and anyone who lives in the area and knows the area, knows the area needs more encouragement economically. Our economy is poor, we rely on the council and we rely on the health board, and it shouldn’t be like that. It would be wonderful to see a community creating jobs for young people, with money they’d earned themselves.
[Angus MacDonald – Reporter] Nothing else will be seen here until the Spring, but they’ll hope this will increase employment opportunities and the economy of the area. Angus MacDonald, BBC An Là, Beinn Ghrìdeag.
[Dòmhnall Angaidh Moireasdan – Preseantair] Nise, tha a’ chompanaidh Point and Sandwick Power ag ràdh gum faodadh iad barrachd air na trì muilnean-gaoithe a tha iad a’ cruthachadh an-dràsta a thogail. Tha bunaitean nam muilnean-gaoithe air Beinn Ghrìdeag an iar air Steòrnabhagh deiseil, ach cha tig na muilnean fhèin chun an t-Earraich agus tha a’ chompanaidh a-nis a’ beachdachadh air ciamar a thèid an teachd-a-teachd bho na muilnean-gaoithe a chosg. Tha Aonghas Dòmhnallach ag aithris.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Chan eil ach mu thrì mìosan bho thòisich an companaidh a’ dèanamh rathad gun làraich far am bi na muilnean-gaoithe nan seasamh. Tha dùil ri na muilnean-gaoithe anns a’ Ghearrain agus tha an suidheachadh a bha a’ coimhead gu math garbh, mì-ghealltanach bho chionn trì mìosan, gu math eadar-dhealaichte a-nise.
[Dòmhnall Iain MacSuain] Bha engineers mìorbhaileach math againn ag obair dhuinn, cha deach bacadh sam bith a chur orra, cha robh mòran droch shìde ann agus rinn iad an obair gu math sgiobalta agus gu math grinn, mar a tha thu a’ faicinn. Tha e fìor, air a thòisich iad, gu robh iad a’ dol tro bhoglach a bha dìreach uabhasach, ach rinn iad a’ chùis air agus tha iad air fàgail an àite agus na làraich gu math grinn agus sgiobalt’.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Ged a bha speilleag ri fheitheamh mus d’ fhuair iad a h-uile càil a thoirt gun h-ìre-sa, tha an sgioba a-nise a’ beachdachadh air am bu chòir dhaibh muilnean-gaoithe eile a thogail, a chionn ‘s gu bheil iad a’ faicinn gu bheil buannachdan mòra a’ dol a thighinn asta.
[Dòmhnall Iain MacSuain] Uill, mar tha feadhainn air a bhith ag ràdh rium, ma tha sibh a’ dol a thogail trì, nach eil a cheart cho math dhuibh togail sia, agus chan eil mi a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil càil sam bith a’ dol a chur bacadh oirnn. Coimhead ri togail tuathan-gaoith eile, agus tha mi an dòchas gur e sin na thachras, airson tha buannachd mhòr dhan a' choimhearsnachd mar a tha sinn a’ faicinn, agus chan eil mi a’ smaoineachadh gum bi muinntir an Rubha is Sanndabhaig riaraichte le dìreach a trì, tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gum bi iad ag iarraidh co-dhiù a sia, no ‘s dòcha naoi no barrachd.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Agus ‘s e an amas a th’ aig a’ chompanaidh, mar a th’ aig na companaidhean coimhearsnachd eile, ath-bheothachadh a thoirt air an eaconamaidh agus na cothroman cosnaidh a chruthaicheas sin do dhaoine òga gu h-àraidh.
[Dòmhnall Iain MacSuain] Tha coimhearsnachdan an seo gu math truagh, tha an òigridh a’ falbh agus tha an fheadhainn a th’ air fhàgail a’ fàs sean, feumach air goireasan, agus duine sam bith a tha a’ fuireach anns an àit’ aig a bheil eòlas air an àit’, nach eil fhios aige gu feum an t-àite a tha seo mòran brosnachaidh air an eaconamaidh. Airson tha an eaconamaidh againn gu math truagh, tha sinn an urra ris a’ chomhairle is an urra ris a’ bhòrd slàint’, agus chan ann mar sin bu chòir dha a bhith. Agus bhiodh e mìorbhaileach math a’ faicinn an coimhearsnachd fhein a’ cruthachadh obraichean dhan òigridh againn, le airgead a bha iad air a chosnadh iad fhèin.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Chan fhaicear a’ chòrr an seo gu Earrach, ach bidh iad an dòchas gun toir seo cinneach a’ dh’Earraich air cothroman cosnaidh agus eaconamaidh na sgìre. Aonghas Dòmhnallach, BBC An Là, air Beinn Ghrìdeag.
[Donald Angie Morrison – Presenter] Now, the Point and Sandwick Power company claim they could build more than the three windmills they’ve created just now. The foundations of the windmills on Beinn Ghrìdeag, west of Stornoway, are ready, but the windmills themselves will not arrive until the Spring, and the company are now considering how the income from the windmills will be spent. Angus MacDonald reports.
[Angus MacDonald – Reporter] It’s only around three months since the company started the road to the site where the windmills will stand. The windmills are expected in February, and the situation which looked grave and unpromising three months ago, is very different now.
[Donald John MacSween] We had wonderfully good engineers working for us, there was no delay or bad weather and they completed the work quickly and rather nicely, as you can see. It’s true, when they started, they went through awful bogs, but they completed the work and they’ve left the place and site nice and tidy.
[Angus MacDonald – Reporter] Though they had to wait a while before they got everything to this stage, the team are now considering if they should build more windmills, as they’re seeing the benefits that come from them.
[Donald John MacSween] Well, as some have said to me, if you’re going to build three, aren’t you as well to build six, and I don’t think there will be anything to restrict that. We’re looking to building other wind farms, and I hope that happens, as there is a large benefit to be gained by the community as we can see, and I don’t think the people of Point and Sandwick will be satisfied with only three, I think they’ll want at least six, or maybe nine or more.
[Angus MacDonald – Reporter] And it’s the aim of the company, like many other community companies, to revive the economy and to create employment opportunities for young people especially.
[Donald John MacSween] The communities here are quite poor, the youth are leaving and those who are left are growing old, needing services, and anyone who lives in the area and knows the area, knows the area needs more encouragement economically. Our economy is poor, we rely on the council and we rely on the health board, and it shouldn’t be like that. It would be wonderful to see a community creating jobs for young people, with money they’d earned themselves.
[Angus MacDonald – Reporter] Nothing else will be seen here until the Spring, but they’ll hope this will increase employment opportunities and the economy of the area. Angus MacDonald, BBC An Là, Beinn Ghrìdeag.