Three windfarms proposed to be sited close to the shores of Kintyre, in the Solway Firth and Wigtown Bay have been refused planning permission by the Scottish government. A further six were given the green light and can now apply for individual planning permission and the developer withdrew a 10th application. The Scottish Government has responsibility for planning within 12 miles of the coast with the UK government handling anything further out. Responding to the appliactions, an economic assessment by the Scottish government found that the tourism sector would face the biggest losses because of the turbines’ visual impact. The…

A celebration of beavers in spring-time will take place in Scotland this weekend (19 – 20 March), as part of the first multinational beaver festival ever to be held across Europe. The Scottish Beaver Trial, the project undertaking the first trial reintroduction of beavers to Scotland, plans to run free events at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum and in Knapdale Forest, the trial area in mid-Argyll which is currently the home of 12 beavers, including two breeding families which are bringing up young kits born last spring. Rallied by Frenchman, Samuel Dubie, a beaver conservationist, organisers in other European countries, including France,…

More than 130 birds of prey have been deliberately killed in Scotland over the last five years and the death toll is rising, new figures have revealed. The latest PAW (Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime) Scotland Poisoning Hotspot Maps, show Scotland’s birds of prey continue to be poisoned with illegal chemicals. Figures from the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) show 28 birds were poisoned between January and December 2010. This was one more than in the previous year and means that 132 birds of prey have been deliberately killed in the last five years. The maps show…

Woodland, freshwater, coast and urban green areas have improved in Scotland in the last decade, according to a Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) study published today. Scotland is the first country in the world to publish a detailed account of changes in natural capital, based on evaluating ecosystems. SNH’s pilot Natural Capital Asset index is the first of its kind to take the idea of economic capital and apply it to the environment in this way. Ecosystems, such as woodlands, rivers or moorlands, provide us with numerous services, including fresh water for drinking, wild salmon and venison, carbon storage, pollination of…