Construction work on a community hydro scheme on the banks of Loch Broom will begin next month.
After eight months of planning and a successful £900,000 fundraising mission, the BroomPower project will start to take shape.
The facility is expected to generate income for community projects for several decades and promises a return for investors once it becomes operational in the autumn.
BroomPower is the latest of more than 400 locally owned renewable energy projects across Scotland.
Construction of the BroomPower hydro is being undertaken by experts chosen by BroomPower operators Lochbroom Community Renewables (LCR) for a track record in building small-scale hydro schemes.
LCR chairman Tim Gauntlett said “We’re hugely excited to have reached this important milestone in the story of BroomPower. It’s taken months of hard work by many dedicated people to get us to this point.
“I think it’s fair to say there’s a mix of relief and genuine celebration to have at last reached the moment when the actual build can begin.
“Safety is and will remain our main priority in both the construction and operational phase, so it’s been vital to ensure the method of operation is correct for all concerned.”
He added: “This, together with detailed lease negotiations with landowners Forestry Enterprise Scotland to ensure everything is in order, has kept the BroomPower team busy in the period since the fundraising target was reached.”
A turf-cutting ceremony marking the start of construction will be held at 11am on May 13 at Braemore Hall where local school pupils will join representatives of BroomPower to mark the occasion.
The event will also include a turbine naming ceremony which has been the subject of a competition among local schoolchildren.
