Communities along the electricity transmission route between Fort Augustus and Skye can now apply for a share of a new £5.46 million fund associated with the replacement of a major Highland power line. The funding round opened on Wednesday, 4 November, following an announcement by SSEN Transmission the previous day, and will accept applications until 10 February 2027.
The Skye Reinforcement Local Fund is intended for communities hosting infrastructure that will strengthen electricity supplies to Skye and the Western Isles. Up to £1.8 million is available during the first year, with individual applications eligible for awards of up to £100,000. The £5.46 million figure is the fund’s total planned value, not the construction budget for the electricity project.
The electrical works will replace an ageing overhead line between Ardmore on Skye and Fort Augustus with a new double-circuit 132-kilovolt connection. SSEN says the existing line was built in stages between 1956 and 1989 and is approaching the end of its operational life. The replacement is intended to strengthen security of supply and provide more capacity for renewable electricity generation.
The wider scheme includes extensions to the Broadford and Edinbane substations and upgrades at Fort Augustus. The developer also plans approximately 15 kilometres of underground cable near the Cuillin Hills and nine kilometres on the approach to Fort Augustus. Most of the overhead route would use steel structures comparable in scale to those already present on parts of the corridor, although one section would remain on wooden poles.
The project’s importance extends beyond Skye itself. Electricity networks on the Western Isles connect through subsea links to Skye, making the Highland transmission corridor part of the supply arrangements for communities further west. At the same time, replacing and increasing network capacity is intended to accommodate future changes in electricity demand and generation.
The new fund is open to projects benefiting communities in Skye and Raasay, Glenelg and Arnisdale, Glengarry, and Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston. Organisations located outside those areas may apply if they can show that their projects would deliver substantial benefits within the defined area. Funding priorities were developed through local consultation during 2026.
Eligible proposals may address affordable housing, village halls and other community facilities, the long-term capacity of voluntary organisations, local shops and services, or transport and connectivity. The fund particularly welcomes projects involving young people and Gaelic. Those priorities reflect the range of concerns surrounding major infrastructure work, from local amenities to the ability of smaller communities to sustain essential services.
SSEN Transmission says the electricity project is part of its wider £29 billion programme for upgrading the transmission network. That programme-wide investment figure should not be confused with the cost of the Skye scheme or the £5.46 million being made available to nearby communities.
The project is at the construction stage in the company’s project framework, although the company says some conditions associated with consent must still be satisfied before full construction can proceed. Surveys, access preparations, vegetation management and other permitted activities are among the work already progressing. Construction traffic, road management and local disturbance remain matters for affected communities as the scheme develops.
The first funding round closes on 10 February 2027, with awards expected in April. SSEN has scheduled online applicant sessions for 11 November and 2 December. Whether the fund ultimately produces lasting local benefits will depend on which projects are selected, how money is distributed across the corridor and how those projects are sustained after their initial grants.
Sources
New £5.46m Community Benefit Fund for Communities Hosting Skye Reinforcement Project, SSEN Transmission, 3 November 2026.
Skye Reinforcement Local Fund, SSEN Transmission, 4 November 2026.
Skye Reinforcement — Project Information, SSEN Transmission, accessed 4 November 2026.
https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/skye-reinforcement?panel=panel-1
