‘The Vikings looked at this view – can’t they just leave it?’: island split over plans for salmon farm

A third farm off the tiny Hebridean island of Gigha would bring much-needed jobs – but there are fears over the impact on the ecosystem and the welfare of the fish

On the tiny Hebridean island of Gigha, a 20-minute ferry hop from Tayinloan village on the Scottish mainland, Marion Stevenson drives along the only main road, pointing out white beaches and new “wilderness paths”. The Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust recently built 14 miles of the paths to encourage eco-tourism. A site in the north of the seven mile-long island has been awarded “dark skies” status – on a clear night you can see the Milky Way.

On the west coast, there are just a handful of houses, cliffs and stunning views across the sea to Jura and Islay. But it is here that Bakkafrost, a Faroese salmon company, proposes siting eight 160-metre-wide cages and a feed barge.