A John Muir Trust/YouGov poll shows that 43% of UK citizens, including 36% of Scots, are less likely to visit a scenic area with lots of wind turbines.
This comes after First Minister Alex Salmond recently claimed that wind farms do not negatively impact Scotland’s scenery and that they actually enhance the appeal of Scotland as a country. However, just 2% agree with him and say they are more likely to visit to an area of natural beauty with large numbers of turbines.
The JMT results show a widespread demand (40% in the UK and 37% in Scotland) for government to prioritise wild lands over wind farms.
David Gibson, MCofS Chief Officer, said: “This research from a highly respected environmental charity, undertaken in conjunction with YouGov using a robust methodology, is very welcome but the results are unsurprising. The Scottish Government is clearly out of touch with public opinion and must wake up to the dangers we face from the industrialisation of our wild and beautiful landscapes.
“Our national economy and many jobs in fragile communities depend heavily on the tourists who come here to enjoy our magnificent landscapes. The Scottish Government simply cannot afford to drive people away through its lack of leadership on this issue. It must take immediate action to end the blight that comes from allowing large power companies to build wind farms in unsuitable places.”
Stuart Brooks, chief executive of the John Muir Trust said: “It’s heartening to see that a significant number of people from all across Britain agree that wild land is important and should be protected. John Muir Trust members, like those of the MCofS, love wild places and understand their value to people’s lives. This poll shows that we are not alone. Wild land is a precious and diminishing resource throughout the world. We desperately need to ensure we don’t lose any more of it.”
The MCofS, which has 11,400 members, recently published a manifesto, Protecting our Mountains. This is backed by the 75,000-strong British Mountaineering Council (representing England and Wales), the Munro Society, the Cairngorms Campaign and the North East Mountain Trust (NEMT).
The manifesto does not oppose wind farms but seeks a new national renewables spatial planning policy to determine where wind farms can and cannot be built. It also calls for a moratorium on further wind farm developments in areas of special sensitivity, such as the Munros and Corbetts which are Scotland’s highest peaks.