caption Fair Isle is one of the UK's most remote islands

But now the island, which is owned by the National Trust for Scotland, has a £3.5m renewable energy scheme made up of three turbines, along with solar panels and batteries that can store enough for about a day's supply.

The ribbon on the new scheme will be cut by local schoolchildren because Scottish government minister Paul Wheelhouse could not make it because of the weather.

Image caption Three wind turbines are part of the new renewable energy scheme

Image caption Solar panels have also been set up as part of the project

Image caption Storage batteries can hold power created by the turbines and solar panels

Robert Mitchell, director of the Fair Isle Electricity Company, said: "It's a big day for the island,we've got our electricity project up and running and we're now going to be in the 21st century."

Mr Mitchell said he hoped it would encourage more people to come to live on the island.

He said there had previously been no point building new houses because there was no capacity for extra power.

Image caption Marie Bruhat and Thomas Fisher met when he was installing the wind turbines

One immediate new resident is Thomas Fisher, from Aberdeenshire, who came as a contractor working on installing the turbines and found romance.

Thomas Fisher met his girlfriend Marie Bruhat playing darts in the community hall.

She moved to the island from France 18 months ago to work with knitwear designer Mati Ventrillon.

Marie said: "I'm quite happy it has worked well, that was the plan when