The John Muir Trust will be giving evidence to a Public Local Inquiry (PLI) into the Crossburns wind farm, which will be heard this week (15-18 November) in Aberfeldy Town Hall.
The PLI was triggered when Perth & Kinross Council unanimously agreed to oppose the 25-turbine development on the hills above Aberfeldy close to the route of the Rob Roy Way.
The JMT also lodged an objection because of the cumulative impact of wind turbines on the Highland Perthshire landscape, whose wild qualities attract visitors from all over the world.
With two major wind farms already spread across the area – Griffin and Calliachar – there are already 82 installed turbines in a small area near Aberfeldy, with a further seven in the pipeline. These are visible from Schiehallion, whose summit and eastern slope is owned and managed by the Trust.
View to the Lawers range seen from the Rob Roy Way through the proposed windfarm site
The new development would also force the re-routing of the Rob Roy Way during the 18-month construction phase and according to the JMT will result in a permanent visual blight along a 20km stretch of the popular footpath.
John Low, Policy Officer for the John Muir Trust said: “Highland Perthshire is the scenic heart of Scotland and is already making a major contribution to renewable energy targets, through its wind farms and hydro schemes.
“We are concerned that the area is nearing a tipping point and that serious damage could be done not just to the ecology and landscape of the area, but also to local businesses which rely on year-round tourism.
“The fact that Perth and Kinross Council objected to the scheme underlines its unsuitability.”