The fragile tourism industry in the far north of Scotland would be damaged if a new wind farm application in Sutherland gets the go-ahead according to the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS).
Creag Riabhach Wind Farm Ltd has applied for planning permission for 22 wind turbines, each over 400 feet high, on moorland immediately below Ben Klibreck.
The MCofS, which says it has only objected to 5% of Scottish wind farm applications, believes that these 125m turbines will have severe landscape and visual impacts and would diminish the local tourist and recreation resource.
Chief Officer David Gibson said: “This site does not have the capacity to support a wind energy development without major harm to the sweeping, moorland and forestry setting.
“This is iconic mountain landscape distinctive to central Sutherland. The mountains here are typically single mountains of significant height and mass, set in a ‘vast, open, expansive landscape’ – to use the description provided by the applicant.
“Placing a wind farm here would destroy the very soul of this landscape.”
The MCofS is concerned at the number of applications around the Loch Shin basin. With applications already submitted for wind farms at Sallachy and Glencassley, and other potential wind farms also within view, there would be a major cumulative impact, highly detrimental to the landscape of central Sutherland.
Research by VisitScotland has indicated that 17-20 per cent of tourists would be deterred by a wind farm, with other research indicating higher figures.
Mr Gibson said: “The applicants seem to be trying to minimize the importance of tourism locally but the fact is that it is extremely important in this area, with mountaineering making a significant contribution. Even a reduction of 20 per cent in the number of visitors would have a huge effect on the local economy.”
In its objection the MCofS argues that the energy contribution and the presumed CO2 reduction of the proposed development would be far outweighed by its damage to a distinctive landscape unique in both a Scottish and international context.
Mr Gibson concluded: “The MCofS has raised no objection to most large wind power developments in north and southeast Sutherland, but this development would be detrimental to the local landscape, and this would impact upon the local tourism economy. It would reduce an extraordinary landscape to just another landscape with wind farms. All large-scale wind power development proposals for this area should be refused.”