Nous sommes nés pour marcher sur la tête des rois

The Isle of Eigg, off the Scottish coast, is shaped like a large kidney bean. Lashed by the winds and rains, drowned in the mists, the landscape is icily sublime, darkly green, with heaths and low cliffs. Formerly, the island was owned by a laird, whose reign was undisputed. Faced with this timeworn feudal order, many of the poorer inhabitants fled the isle, leaving behind them a desert. To prevent the isle from being sold off and to preserve their rural setting, the new islanders created a Trust and bought the isle. An inhabitants’ council is examining the future, the status of the lands, how they will be passed down, the investment required for planning and development. (Yann Lardeau)