Unfortunately the over-reliance on surveys has pushed good old common sense into the background. Given that one of the main reasons (if not the main reason) that people visit the Scottish Highlands is its scenic beauty and wildness, it stands to reason that the visual intrusiveness of wind farms will have a negative impact on visitor numbers, albeit difficult to measure. Flip the argument on its head. Will more people be attracted to the Highlands be because of the aesthetic beauty of wind turbines? While many might be able to ingnore them, a minority, possibly a sizeable minority will decide to go elsewhere. Perhaps they will go elswhere in Scotland or the UK or even abroad.

The proliferation of wind farms means that it has become increasingly difficult to avoid seeing them wherever you travel and that detracts from enjoying the natural beauty of the landscape, even if they only appear once or twice on a day’s excursion. For me, on last year’s Challenge, the intrusiveness of wind farms and hydro schemes from Glen Affric through to Kingussie definitely spoilt that leg of my trip. The Fetteresso wind farm and proliferation of wind farms along the coast also makes me unlikely to go that way again.

Now my preferences, or indeed the preferences of Challengers are hardly likey to make or break the Scottish tourist industry. However if coach parties start to notice the wind farms in iconic places like Loch Ness and decide that visiting once is enough and that in future they’d rather tour somewhere else, then it will be a big problem for tourism in the Highlands.

As Alan said, many tourist businesses are highly sensitive to load factors and a small decline at the margin can often mean that a profit becomes a loss and many small businesses have limited reserves to buffer themselves against fluctuating fortunes.

The Fetteresso extension illustrates the cancer of wind farms. Once they are established, extensions are easy to “justify”. Once the visual amenity is spoilt, how can there be any objections? Not only that, the infrastructure is already there, so it’s a lot cheaper to develop.

My fear is that the critical tipping point is past. The SNP seems hell bent on ramming through as many developments as possible and ride rough shod over local objections. Most of the votes in Scotland are in the central belt who probably don’t care about the aesthetics of landscape. Politicians (of all parties) seem more interested in virtue signalling their green credentials than looking critically at the scientific, engineering and economic arguments surrounding “renewable” energy.

Unfortunately, the battle has been lost despite the valiant efforts of the JMT and MCoS, together with a number of individuals like Alan Sloman and Chris Townsend. The follies of mankind!

The Battle is Over, but The War Goes On !

Turn up the volume! Play this loud!

"Unfortunately, the battle has been lost despite the valiant efforts of the JMT and MCoS, together with a number of individuals like Alan Sloman and Chris Townsend. The follies of mankind!"

I can't argue with you Robin but there are a few organisations pulling up a fight. It may be a bit of a guerrilla action but it is still effective sometimes.


https://scotlandagainstspin.org/
http://www.cawt.co.uk/index.php
http://www.windsofjustice.org.uk/

Thanks, Brian. They deserve a mention too, plus I’m sure there are other individuals :+1:

Presumably there won't be any future objections from the Forestry Commission regarding wind farms . Yet another organisation that the SNP want to centralise and control to make sure they follow the party line. I really worry about the road that Scotland is being dragged down by this bunch of power crazed despots.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-43218916