Go-ahead given for Cloiche wind farm in Monadhliaths 

The go-ahead has been given to a wind farm in the Monadhliaths which will create one of the largest swathes of turbines in Scotland.

Leading Scottish renewable energy developer and operator, SSE Renewables, has welcomed the decision by Scottish Ministers to grant Section 36 planning consent for the Cloiche development.

Cloiche wind farm will be located on the Glendoe and Garrogie Estates, next to the already operational 66 turbines at Stronelairg wind farm and Glendoe hydroelectric scheme.

A separate application for a further wind farm at Glenshero was rejected by Scottish Ministers last year.

The Cloiche site is approximately 11 kilometres (km) to the south-east of Fort Augustus.

The 29 turbine will have an installed generation capacity of up to 125MW, enough renewable energy to typically power over 150,000 UK homes annually and offset over 190,000 tonnes of carbon per annum.

The Cairngorm National Park Authority objected on the grounds of visual impact, as did the John Muir Trust and Mountaineering Scotland

SSE Renewables has said the scheme will contribute significantly to meeting the UK and Scotland’s 2030 renewable energy targets.

Heather Donald, Director of Onshore Development and Construction said: “We welcome the decision made by the Scottish Government to grant consent for Cloiche Wind Farm.

“Onshore wind projects like Cloiche are critical to delivering the net zero transition, and have an essential role to play in decarbonising the UK’s energy supply.

“We have worked closely with the local community, listening carefully to people’s views, to ensure that we are considering local needs and priorities wherever possible.

“We would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to share their feedback throughout the development of Cloiche Wind Farm. It has been central in helping us develop our proposals.

“As well as delivering significant environmental benefits, Cloiche wind farm is also expected to deliver an economic dividend to the Highlands, in the same way that other significant renewables projects in the Great Glen have brought hundreds of millions of pounds in socio-economic benefit to the region.

“We look forward to Cloiche wind farm bringing the same level of long-term economic benefits to businesses and communities across the Great Glen and the wider Highland region, while delivering the homegrown green energy we need and supporting our transition to net zero.”

SSE Renewables will now focus on progressing the project through the final stages of development in preparation for a potential construction start in 2026.

Final delivery of the wind farm will be subject to the project securing a route to market, and a final investment decision.

A SSE Renewables spokesperson said: “In addition to supporting the generation of homegrown green energy to address the climate emergency, the delivery of Cloiche wind farm will also bring a significant environmental net gain.

“The wind farm site is situated in an area of peatland affected by extreme erosion, resulting in the ongoing emission of stored carbon dioxide. In parallel with development of the wind farm, SSE Renewables plans to undertake long-term restoration of extensive areas of degraded peatland.

“Over the life of the wind farm, this programme would be expected to help meet Scottish Government targets for peatland restoration.”