The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) has launched its Manifesto on Onshore Wind Farms in which it calls for the Munros and Corbetts to be protected from the proliferation of wind farms in Scotland's push for renewable energy.
The MCofS believes Scotland can achieve its aims for renewable energy without industrialising our most important mountains. The MCofS is calling for an immediate moratorium on commercial wind farms which encroach on the highest mountains, the Munros (peaks over 3,000ft) and Corbetts (2,500-3,000ft). The MCofS says, “These are among our finest mountain landscapes and are vital to our cultural and historical identity. They form a clearly identifiable group and are among the last parts of the UK free from obvious, or extensive, human presence.”
“The manifesto reflects the determination of the MCofS to defend this precious resource and it examines some of the issues and proposes practical action to balance the need for clean energy with the need to conserve our natural heritage.”
Ron Payne, the MCofS Director of Landscape and Access, said: “The mountains and wild places of Scotland are a national asset beyond price, yet they risk being irrevocably damaged by commercial wind farm developments.”
He went on to say: “As the recognised representative body for Scottish mountaineers and hill walkers we believe our uplands and wild places are at risk from climate change. They are also in danger from our response to climate change – industrial-scale wind farms in landscapes which should remain wild. The threat is not just from individual schemes, but from their cumulative impact. With ever-more schemes in the pipeline we need urgent action.“
The manifesto can be found on the MCofS website.