Digital opens up world-wide access to learning
We're renowned for our creative culture, and are trailblazers in teaching practical skills online
Great broadband will make a huge difference to our business, and for the islands as well. Being able to work online and at a distance means you can live where you want but still work a city style job.Hazel Smith, Manager, Uist Wool
Fibre fast island
Grimsay is a tiny island roughly three miles long, and half again in width, in the Outer Hebrides. Joined to North Uist and Benbecula by a causeway, a single-track road links most of the island's croft and fishing settlements together.
The community made national digital headlines this summer as it is packing a brand new social and economic punch. It’s the Highlands and Islands first fully ultrafast island community.
The 113 households on Grimsay can order services which can deliver 1Gbps download – this is around 18.5 times faster than the UK’s current average of 54 Mbps. The roll out of fibre to Grimsay was part of the publicly funded Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband project (DSSB).
Before the fibre programme Grimsay, and the wider Benbecula, South and North Uist area had little or no access to mainstream broadband and were connected over radio network or satellite.
There are five subsea fibre optic cables linking the Outer Hebrides to each other and the mainland. The longest subsea link was almost 50 miles and was landed in Braighe near Stornoway in 2014. The first superfast broadband home went live in June 2015.Stuart Robertson, Director of Digital, HIE
Business, education, health and lifestyle benefits from connectivity
Broadband in the Outer Hebrides has been transformed by the fibre roll-out. Superfast coverage stretches across 29 telephone exchange areas from Barra to Lewis. Find out what it means to local people.
Work life choices with homeworking
You can have both a career and the lifestyle you want by working from home in our region
Business benefits of high speed broadband
Find out what benefits local businesses see in better connectivity
When we started planning the Digital Scotland rollout, Western Isles was hands down the most difficult place to build. It has the lowest population density in the UK and many communities are comprised of remote and scattered households.Robert Thorburn, Partnership director for Scotland, Openreach
Where to now?
If the Grimsay story has inspired you, find out how we can help you in the Highlands and Islands.
Property and land
We have a large portfolio of land, premises and development opportunities available to help businesses and communities across our region.
Technology Placement Programme
Our technology placement programme offers enterprises of any size in the Highland Council area the opportunity to take on a graduate or student placement - and we'll fund up to 70% of their salary.
Browse all support services
We support businesses, communities and social enterprises through a range of support services, including advice, funding, events and property. Find out how we can help you.