NORTH UIST GETS TWO NEW GIANTS!

Uist Wind is delighted to announce the results of its recent naming competition for the two community-owned wind turbines at Clachan-na-Luib.
 
An day of activities was held in October with the children of Sgoil Uibhist a Tuath at which a list of names was produced, followed by a community vote conducted online and via the North Uist shops. A pair of names emerged as the most popular.
 
They are Fionn Fuamhaire and Flòraidh Fuamhaire, being respectively Giant Finn and Giant Flora. The wind turbines will likely be referred to as ‘the giants’ from now onwards. 
 
The name Fionn was selected by the pupils because of its association with Finn’s People or Pobuill Fhinn, the stone circle near Langass Lodge in North Uist, which were probably named after the legendary hero Fionn mac Cumhaill, while Flòraidh was chosen in recognition of the famous Flora MacDonald.
 
The epithet ‘fuamhaire’ was chosen because the children’s main impression when they were up close to the turbines was of their impressive size and scale, using the terms ‘magnificent’ ‘enormous’ ‘massive’ and ‘phenomenal’..
 
“It has always been the intention to give the turbines names,” explains Andrew Ross, Chair of North Uist Development Company (Trading), which is managing the project on behalf of the community. “This is in line with what has been done at other community-owned island renewable projects, such as the Dancing Ladies in Gigha and Tilley on Tiree. The fact that we have now done this makes it feel that the project has passed another milestone in its development. We know that this is a long term project and we were all most impressed at how the children grasped the notion that it is ‘their’ project, which is going to be benefitting their community in the coming years.
 
“It is also an appropriate moment to express thanks to Catherine MacLeod who stood down recently as our Chair and whose hard work and commitment over the last ten years has been critical to helping us get to this point.”
 
The names Fionn and Flòraidh will feature on-site at some point in the future. They will also be used for the planned walk, which local student Hannah MacDonald was kindly developing during her time as a volunteer over the summer for both Uist Wind and North Uist Development Company.  Hannah is now a Community Officer for the Islands Centre for Net Zero in the Outer Hebrides (ICNZ).
 
The walk in development aims to lead up to the turbine site, with information boards along the way, explaining the project from development to operation, adding the story of the naming of the turbines and how the names came about, with some explanation about the landscape and signposting of points of interest, and connecting with the Environment Centre in the Old Lochmaddy School for a more detailed explanation of the local environment.