July 21, 2012
Scotland

The view? Gone with the wind: Our famous scenery and landmarks blighted forever by turbines

By Victoria Allen | Daily Mail | www.dailymail.co.uk 20 July 2012

They are famous Scottish landmarks which have withstood wars, weather and centuries of change – but they could not escape the Scottish Government’s green agenda.

Many of Scotland’s most important tourist attractions now stand in the shadow of towering wind farms, as developers target every inch of the country for their turbines.

Even Stirling Castle, recaptured by the Scots from the English after the Battle of Bannockburn, has been sacrificed to the SNP’s green obsession.

Behind its ramparts are an ever-present army of 36 turbines, which dominate the skyline at 328ft high.

These photographs show how far the turbines have impinged on historic Scotland, blighting its landscapes and destroying its appeal.

Centuries-old castles have had wind farms built disturbingly close, while golfers at the Royal Aberdeen club cannot fail to be put off by the 218ft monster windmill looming over the 14th hole.

Loch Greshornish, once surrounded only by crofts and coastline walks on the isle of Skye, now has Edinbane wind farm on its banks.

There are currently plans in place to build turbines higher than the London Eye on hills either side of Loch Ness.

Unspoiled landscapes across the country have now become noisy wind farms, a state of affairs which has been strongly criticised by Ramblers Scotland.

Prehistoric sites have been given no protection from planners to stop turbines being built close to them.

From north to south, there are as many as 1,800 turbines in place and hundreds more planned. Seven planning applications a day are lodged with councils by developers cashing in on millions in subsidies.

Tycoon Donald Trump notoriously compared the wind farm which could be built close to his £1billion Aberdeenshire golf course to building a ‘brutal 1960s-style block of apartments on Arthur’s Seat’.

Now these pictures suggest even Arthur’s Seat may not be safe for long.

[photographs available at source]

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/07/21/the-view-gone-with-the-wind-our-famous-scenery-and-landmarks-blighted-forever-by-turbines/