Welcome to the Tiree Community Council website
What do we do?
As a Community Council we are the first, or the grass-roots, tier of statutory representation in Scotland.
We bridge the gap between local authorities and communities, thereby ensuring that public authorities are aware of the opinions, and needs, of the Tiree community.
How do we do it?
We articulate the views and concerns of Tiree’s residents on a wide range of issues of public concern, and making representations to Argyll and Bute Council, Scottish Government and other public sector bodies within or affecting Tiree Community Council’s sphere of interest.
How do we gather the Community’s views?
Public meetings of Tiree Community Council are held regularly throughout the year, alternately in person and by Zoom. Our AGM will be held in person. You can find the digital joining details of our meetings under the ‘Meetings’ section of our website, along with the draft minutes of the previous meeting.
All members of the public are welcome.
Public meetings, and their agenda, are advertised a week in advance.
We are always happy to receive correspondence by e-mail with questions or issues to be raised.
Our website has a comments facility which requires you to register a named account to post.
We also operate a Facebook Page where routine issues are often flagged and comments can also be made there with a Facebook account.
Our public meetings are streamed on our Facebook page.
Both of these forms of comment are governed by a Moderation policy.
For those not wishing to use those mechanisms to comment on a page or a Facebook post, the option is always available to comment separately to us directly by email.
Planning Applications:
If you are interested in seeing what planning applications are currently being considered for Tiree, you can find the weekly lists of applications published here: https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/planning-and-environment/weekly-list-valid-planning-applications
You can search these PDF documents (Keyboard shortcut Ctrl-F) for “Tiree” to find any application within our area.
Our Facebook Page feed:
This is our submission to the Marine Directorate about the MachairWind wind farm application. Thanks to those who wrote to us about this:![]()
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MD-00012385 / MD-00012386 ![]()
MachairWind Limited ![]()
MachairWind Offshore Wind Farm ![]()
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This is the response of Tiree Community Council (TCC) to the above application. ![]()
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TCC has discussed this application as an agenda item at two public meetings. We agreed to reflect the full range of community views in our submission to the consultation.![]()
We published links from the developer’s website and the community group site hebrideanhorizon.co.uk on the TCC Facebook page, which has 1400 followers. We did this three times. We also contacted island marine tourism businesses and fishermen.![]()
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Tiree has its own experience with wind farm applications. Scottish Power Renewables’ Argyll Array stimulated a community campaign against the proposal from 2010 to 2013.![]()
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A few islanders did support the MachairWind proposal because it represented an expansion of green energy.![]()
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By far the largest number of responses we received, however, were hostile. I have summarised the main points that have been raised: ![]()
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1. Visual and Landscape Impact:![]()
This response from one islander was typical: ‘The scale of the proposal—involving up to 91 turbines standing 340 metres high—is industrialisation on an unprecedented scale. These structures will dominate the horizon, irreversibly damaging the character, tranquillity, and natural beauty of our coastlines, which are vital to our local community and tourism-based economy. The historical and heritage implications are also huge.’ ![]()
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Several respondents suspected that the visualisations of the turbines from Tiree presented by the applicant did not represent the true scale of the project.![]()
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1. Dark Sky Degradation: ![]()
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This response summed the matter up well: ‘The requirement for aviation and maritime safety lighting on these turbines will cause severe light pollution, destroying the dark-sky environment that is a precious and cherished asset of our islands.’![]()
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2. Historic and Cultural: ![]()
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The island’s seascape has important historical and cultural significance. Tiree has connections to the other islands of the Inner Hebrides going back to the arrival of St Columba on Iona in the 6th century AD, including the Lords of the Isles on Islay and the MacLeans of Duart on Mull. ![]()
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Hynish is at the southwestern tip of the island, and will be the most affected by the development. Skerryvore Lighthouse, said by many to be the most beautiful in the world, was built from a workyard in Hynish. The trustees of the Hynish Trust, a charitable community body that owns the Skerryvore Lighthouse Shore Station, have made this point: ‘Hynish is one of Scotland's most important industrial heritage sites. A defining aspect of Hynish's significance is its relationship with the surrounding seascape … The introduction of a major industrial development on the horizon risks undermining these qualities and could have long-term consequences for tourism and the local economy.’ ![]()
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3. Economic:![]()
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Many correspondents made the point that the landscape industrialisation caused by MachairWind will harm the tourist economy, one of the largest sectors on Tiree. This comment was typical: ‘Tourism is one of the principal economic drivers for Tiree, Iona, Mull and the wider Hebridean islands. Hotels, restaurants, guest houses, self-catering businesses, wildlife tour operators, boat trips, retail businesses and many other small enterprises depend upon the area's reputation for spectacular scenery, abundant wildlife and an unspoilt environment. Any reduction in the area's attractiveness, or the perception that its unique landscapes have become industrialised, risks having direct economic consequences for businesses, employment and investment across fragile island communities.’![]()
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The island’s fixed gear fishing fleet of six boats occasionally uses the waters within the projected footprint of the wind farm. It has also been shown that brown crabs are ‘mesmerised’ by undersea power cables, inhibiting their movement. This subject is poorly understood. But since it is known that female crustaceans migrate hundreds of miles, it is possible that Tiree fishermen on their traditional grounds will be impacted both during the construction phase and throughout the life of the wind farm.![]()
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4. Wildlife:![]()
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Concern was expressed about the impact of the wind farm on birds flying through the development. Of particular importance is Tiree’s corncrake population, currently one-third of the UK’s total, and economically important to the island’s crofters and visitors. Corncrake migration is nocturnal, and birds are be likely to pass through the projected wind farm. These birds have poor in-flight manoeuvrability, making them more likely to suffer impacts from the rotor blades. Corncrake migration is still poorly understood, and the precautionary principle should apply in this instance.![]()
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5. Lack of Local Benefit:![]()
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Tiree has not been designated a host community—the nearest turbine would be 18 miles from Hynish. There is currently no proposed community benefit to Tiree in the application. As one of our correspondents wrote: ‘Tiree, Iona, Mull and the surrounding Hebridean islands would bear many of the consequences of this proposal through changes to their landscape, seascape, dark skies and visitor experience, yet there is little evidence that the development will deliver significant long-term employment, meaningful investment in local infrastructure or reduced electricity costs for our island communities. Most construction activity and specialist maintenance are likely to be undertaken by contractors based elsewhere, with only a limited number of permanent operational roles remaining locally.’![]()
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Conclusion![]()
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It is therefore fair to say that the overwhelming majority of opinion on MachairWind Offshore Wind Farm submitted to Tiree Community Council is strongly against the proposal. ![]()
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Yours sincerely,![]()
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Dr John Holliday, Secretary, Tiree Community Council
We have just over three weeks if we want to comment on the MachairWind wind farm off Colonsay.![]()
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It will certainly be visible from Caolas to Hynish. Tiree Community Council has undertaken to reflect the views of the whole community, and we have had feedback from around 15 people so far. Do contact us in the next ten days if you want your views to be included.![]()
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The public consultation period is open until 15th August 2026.![]()
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Or you can write directly to the Marine Directorate at: MD.MarineRenewables@gov.scot![]()
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Objectors to the proposal have collected a lot of material on the Hebridean Horizon website:![]()
www.hebrideanhorizon.co.uk/![]()
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This includes a petition, which had reached 1,775 signatures as of this morning.
Protect our Islands - Object to MachairWind
www.hebrideanhorizon.co.uk
Say No to MachairWind. Our Hebridean Horizon campaign group is made up of islanders raising awareness of the MachairWind wind farm and why you should object
Delighted that the Westminster government has U-turned on its decision to cut back on reimbursements for our coastguards. This important part of the island's emergency responders deserves to be properly recognised.
Word has reached us from the Tiree Terminal Works Project Team at CMAL that the contract to 'deliver additional marshalling space, improved traffic management arrangements and a replacement terminal building' has been awarded to Mackenzie Construction Limited.![]()
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Work is set to start at the end of July: 'Construction will be phased to minimise disruption, with temporary accommodation provided for ferry staff and passengers. The works should not affect the published CalMac ferry timetable.'
A warm welcome from Louise at today's re-opening of the Tiree Library.![]()
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The best way to contact her, if you can't pop in, is by email at:![]()
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Louise.Cooke@liveargyll.co.uk
The Tiree Library will re-open next Tuesday 14 July. The opening hours will be Tuesday 9-1 and Saturday 10-2. We welcome Louise Cook as our new Library Assistant.![]()
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Please support the library as much as possible. As well as a rotating collection of books, Louise can help you get e-books, audiobooks and digital newspapers. She can help you order books from the huge Argyll Library Catalogue, including a local studies collection. Joining the library is free.![]()
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When LiveArgyll, which now operates the library, surveyed Tiree a few weeks ago, there were 22 responses. The strong feeling was that the Tiree Library was a great resource. The more we use it, the stronger its position will be.