February 28, 2015
Scotland

Hillwalkers mount Macritch Hill windfarm fight

By Graham Brown | The Courier | 28 February 2015 | www.thecourier.co.uk

Outdoors enthusiasts are mounting an objection to a planned Angus windfarm on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park.

Eneco Wind UK Ltd has applied to build 18 turbines at Macritch Hill, near the Backwater reservoir, north of Kirriemuir.

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland claims the northern group of seven turbines would cause “unacceptable harm” because much of the landscape lies within Cairngorms National Park and the Lochnagar-Mount Keen wild land area.

MCofS chief officer David Gibson said: “This is a particularly attractive landscape, offering big skies and high, wide horizons within easy reach of large urban populations, so it is visited repeatedly by local mountaineers as well as attracting visitors from a distance.

“Many popular hills would be affected: two Munros – Mayar and Dreish – and the Corbett Monameanach, together with Mount Blair and Cat Law are all within 8km.”

Eneco has already scaled back its plans for along the hill and the developer said it had followed guidelines laid down by several environmental bodies.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/02/28/hillwalkers-mount-macritch-hill-windfarm-fight/