Mankind has been harnessing the power of the wind in many ways for years. Recently, though, new opportunities have arisen with moves to find more sustainable forms of energy - particularly wind.

With the west coast of Scotland identified as one of the best locations for wind turbine development, is this a potential lifeline for these fragile communities?

In South Uist the local community has recently taken control of the ownership of the estate. This has allowed Stòras Uibhist, the community trust, to pursue new development opportunities - including a massive wind turbine project. In Tiree they're a bit further down the line, having erected a wind turbine in 2010. So has it made a difference to the community? In South Shawbost on the west coast of Lewis, we join the local community as they gather together to celebrate the switching on of their turbine. It's been a long and arduous process though to bring it to completion. There are also other options of harnessing the power of the wind, and all over the world inventors, scientists and enthusiasts are experimenting with different alternative ideas to wind turbines.

One of those is inventor Rod Read in Lewis, who is experimenting with a kite system. Show less