Rural Europe on the move English_chapt1_6 | Page 35

1. The Isle of Eigg with An Sgurr - its iconic
mountain, its hay meadows and beaches
2. Welcome to Eigg: Liliana and Jeremias
3. Participants of the ENESD workshop in 1997
“I got involved in the regeneration
of a small population determined to fight
depopulation and landlordism.”
A journey of
mutual discovery
Back in 1997, it was an equally warm
and sunny day and we were taking
a break from intense discussions in
the Big House for a group photo. Our
And what a journey that was: determined to fight depopulation group consisted half of islanders and
in 1997, this speck of land in the and landlordism. After decades of half of European visitors from across
Hebrides archipelago made history activism, it is time to hand over to a the continent.
when it went from private hands new generation.
to community ownership and
As I am listening to Liliana’s words,
They were brought to Eigg by
the Highland and Islands Forum, in
management. I am the chronicler of with a handful of younger islanders effect the ‘Scottish branch’ of Forum
this island history – heir to the Eigg now getting ready to take over Synergies. Eigg was one stop on a
tradition-bearers I learned about 35 responsibility for steering the island discovery journey, which had started a
years ago for my anthropology degree into the future, I feel that we are few years before, in 1995.
before going native and raising a revisiting a very strong moment of family on Eigg. Completely seduced our island history. Suddenly the Misak attended even by Winnie Ewing, the
by the Gaelic way of life I had initially people’s concept of circular time region’s MEP (member of European
come to study, I got involved in the seems to make sense: time might well Parliament), whose party campaigned
regeneration of a small population be spiraling, and not be linear at all. for changes to the extremely
It had certainly been a lively day,
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