The Mountaineering Council of Scotland has expressed shock that Highland Council might support two huge industrial wind farms in the Northwest Highlands, near a National Scenic Area.
The applications for Glencassley and Sallachy, near Loch Shin and Ben Assynt in Sutherland, propose a total of 48 turbines each at least 125 metres tall (plus concrete buildings and 33km of access tracks) in some of the nation's most important remaining wild land.
Highland Council officers have recommended that the council’s North Planning Applications Committee, which meets on 21 May, should not object to the proposals. This is despite the fact that just a few weeks ago, Highland councillors wanted to write to the Scottish Government to voice concerns about inappropriate wind farms.
The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and John Muir Trust have all raised strong objections. Both applications would have a severe impact on precious and unspoilt mountain uplands and intrude on the Assynt-Coigach National Scenic Area.
David Gibson, chief officer of the MCofS, said: “It will be truly shocking if Highland councillors vote in favour of wind farm proposals that would do such damage to the wild landscapes that make Assynt-Coigach so special.
“It would put councillors on the wrong side of the conservation debate, the wrong side of public opinion and would do a great wrong to the natural heritage they are supposed to protect, and which is so important to their constituents’ tourism businesses.
“Highland councillors have previously shown grave concern about the impact of inappropriate wind farms and we hope they will do the right thing and oppose these hideous applications.
“The Scottish Government has recently indicated in its National Planning Framework 3 consultation that it may make small, but welcome moves, towards protecting National Scenic Areas from wind farm industrialisation. It would be deeply unfortunate if these wind farms were given a green light while the government is consulting on these proposals.
“We are calling on minister Fergus Ewing to make a real stand for Scotland’s natural heritage and put a halt to wrong-headed proposals like these.
“Unless he takes serious action to keep wind farms well away from our remaining unspoiled mountain areas we risk a situation where natural wonders like Ben Assynt are swamped in a sea of turbines. Scotland deserves better.”
The MCofS believes that any proposal in this location would be a mistake, and two so close together would be disastrous because of their cumulative impact.
New research shows that the percentage of Scotland free from visual intrusion by man-made structures is collapsing and that wind turbines are the main reason. SNH has found that between 2008 and 2010 the area of Scotland where no man-made structures can be seen fell by 5% to just 30%. Since then, the number of wind farms has expanded exponentially.
The MCofS says the situation will soon be much worse as only around one third of Scottish wind turbines – including those built, under construction, with consent, or going through the planning system, have actually been built.
The Sallachy and Glencassley planning applications also come during the Year of Natural Scotland, when the Scottish Government and the VisitScotland tourism agency are celebrating the country’s natural heritage.
Mr Gibson said: “It is an appalling idea that a huge power company like SSE, which is behind the Glencassley proposal, could be allowed to make money from putting around two dozen industrial scale turbines on unspoiled and beautiful land during the Year of Natural Scotland.
“Right now there is a huge international publicity campaign inviting the world to come and enjoy our wide open space, just as SSE wants to smother them with turbines, 21km of tracks, concrete buildings and 80m masts.”
The applications are being made by SSE Generation Ltd at Glencassley and WKN Sallachy Ltd at Sallachy.