The replacement of the ageing overhead line between Fort Augustus and Skye will generate over £10 million in community benefit funding, SSEN Transmission has announced.

The huge increase, up from an initial estimate of just over £1m, follows a successful push to widen the scope of the UK Government's community benefit guidance for electricity infrastructure.

The 'Skye Reinforcement' project, which involves replacing the existing line—sections of which date back to the 1950s—is critical to maintaining the security and reliability of supply for homes and businesses in Skye and the Western Isles. The replacement line, which received Scottish Government planning consent in June, will use new steel lattice towers and will also boost the capacity required to enable new renewable energy connections to the grid.

Initially, funding was limited only to the new substations at Edinbane and Broadford, which would have generated £1.06m in total. However, after representations from SSEN Transmission and local elected members, the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) revised its guidance in August. The updated rules now include capacity upgrade projects where existing wooden pole lines are replaced with steel lattice towers, making the Skye Reinforcement eligible for a substantial increase.

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The new funding breakdown includes:

• £5.64m for the 28.2km section between Broadford and Edinbane.

• £3.68m for the 18.4km section from Invergarry to Quoich Switching Station.

• An additional £530,000 for upgrade work at Fort Augustus substation.

Together with the initial £1.06m for substations, the total pot stands at £10.91m.

In line with SSEN Transmission's governance, half of this—£5.46m—will be dedicated to a new Skye Reinforcement Local Fund for communities along the line's route, from Fort Augustus to Ardmore. The other half will be directed into SSEN Transmission's Regional Community Benefit Fund for the north of Scotland.

Gary Hughes, Economic Development Manager at SSEN Transmission, welcomed the news: "We are delighted that the UK Government agreed to change the community benefit guidance, which means that the funding generated by this project has been boosted tenfold—including a dedicated local fund for communities close to the Skye to Fort Augustus line."

The reinforcement is part of SSEN Transmission's commitment to invest at least £22 billion in the coming years, which includes the construction of new substations, subsea, and overhead lines across the north of Scotland to meet national energy security and clean power targets.

The Skye Reinforcement Local Fund is expected to formally launch in 2026 after consultation with local stakeholders on its eligibility criteria and grant levels.