June 20, 2012
Scotland

Ferintosh Community Council campaign against Swordale Moor turbines

BBC News, www.bbc.co.uk 20 June 2012

A community council is campaigning against plans for 17 wind turbines on Swordale Moor in Ross-shire.

The group in Ferintosh on the Black Isle has concerns that the scheme will spoil views of Ben Wyvis.

Parts of the mountain, which summits at 1,046m (about 3,431ft), are covered by a national nature reserve because of its geology and wildlife.

Developers Coriolis and Falck Renewables said the farm would not impact on protected areas.

Ferintosh Community Council vice chairman Iain MacCallum said the farm would screen views of Ben Wyvis.

He added that the turbines would be visible from all over the central Highlands.

Coriolis and Falck said the project avoided protected areas and the site was close to other “significant development”, including industrial estates at Evanton and a line of electricity towers.

The companies added that it had been designed to “sit well” within the landscape when viewed from the south.

Traditionally, Ben Wyvis belonged to the Clan Munro – which was given the land on condition that it could present the king with a snowball from the mountain at midsummer.

Each year about 4,000 people visit the nature reserve, according to a Scottish Natural Heritage document about the protected area.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/06/20/ferintosh-community-council-campaign-against-swordale-moor-turbines/