Tilley – Tiree’s Wind Turbine is tantalising close to turning once again after a year of inactivity. The lack of action was not down to Tiree somehow being becalmed. It was the fact that the turbine required repair and refurbishment. The consequence of the year’s gap has been a loss of income to community projects.

As previously reported the new turbine and the necessary equipment arrived by barge, The first barge brought the main crane in sections and a secondary crane to build the former. The second barge brought the actual turbine.

First of all the blades and the turbine had to be lowered before the turbine could be lifted into place at the top of the tower.

Less than a week later and the turbine is down and has travelled down to the land close to the pier-head. Not only that but sections of the main crane are down close to the pier-head as well.

Last week was calm and enabled the work on Tilley to proceed without any major hold up. The wait now is for a weather window for the barge to be brought to the island. Sea conditions, although not preventing the ferry from making the daily crossing, are not suitable for the barge to make the journey from the Clyde and up the West Coast to Tiree.

Below are a collection of photographs that capture something of the work that has been going on. Unfortunately we were not able to capture the lift. The latter has inspired at least one person (D. Meek) to capture the event in verse. You will find it among his Facebook Posts.

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Sunday 12th
The Task Almost Completed

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On Monday 13th 3 additional tractor units arrived on ferry to assist with the work of transferring ballast and crane sections to the land close by the pier-head. It was a day of low clouds and drizzle.

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Monday and we are waiting for the barge to arrive sometime

Sunday’s Sunset makes Tilley blush

This is ‘Life on Tiree’