‘Energy fat cats are destroying the homes our ancestors nurtured and we’ve invested a lifetime of savings into’ 

Caroline and Moira Macrae live next to plans for one Scotland’s biggest electricity substations intended to help move renewable energy south.

A family living next to plans for one of Scotland’s largest electricity substations says “no one is listening to us” regarding their concerns.

They say ongoing renewable developments across the region will push people out of the Highlands.

Their lives have already been impacted by the noise from preliminary drilling and landscaping on the site, which lies up the hill from their family homes.

Developer SSEN Transmission has defended the project and say they hope to “minimise impact on residents.”

The P&J visited Caroline and Moira to find out how they will be affected by the nearby renewable plans.

Family still live on same crofting land

Caroline and Moira grew up on crofting land along the road from Kiltarlity, south of Beauly, along with their two sisters, Rosie, Shona and the rest of the family.

“We did want to move to the village when granny died,” Caroline said.

“My dad said there’s no way you would get me out of here other than in a box.”

But as their father started becoming more unwell, the crofting land was passed onto Caroline and her sisters.

“When we were kids it was four crofts but all run as one, and then he de-crofted each bit.”

Each of the sisters were given their own space, and chose to develop the sites how they wished.

‘This was our life investment’

Caroline, who is a mobile hairdresser, said the house she occupied was “knackered” and rebuilt it back in 2008 before their dad passed in 2010.

Moira also had the chance to develop her own space and took the opportunity to do so.

However, upon learning and feeling the impacts of the Fanellan development, Moira said she would never have built her house if she knew.

She said: “I wouldn’t have put so much money and effort into my house and garden.

“We built our houses and worked hard to pay off our houses. I’ve spent a fair fortune in my garden to establish it and make it half decent.

“And you think if you do want to downsize in retirement, then you think how much money you are going to lose on it.

“I’m looking across over to Fanellan.

“So when I look out my glass doors, I’m looking right across to the fields below Fanellan and that’s where one of the massive pylons is going to be put in.”

Caroline added: “If we’d thought this would have been as big as it is we would’ve been off long ago.

“This is our pension, this was our investment.

“Now it’s being devalued at the hands of these big rich fat cats.”

What is happening on the Fanellan site?

A 400kV substation and converter station is planned just under a mile away from Caroline and Moira’s homes.

These substations are the largest in the UK and transport power across the country.

It is part of developer SSEN Transmission’s £22 billion grid upgrades to transport the renewable energy generated by the Highlands to higher demand areas in the country.

SSEN has declared the full site boundary at 868 acres, which is more than 430 football pitches.

While the final site of the substation will be much smaller, Moira said “non-stop” drilling and landscaping works close to her home have been creating a “racket”.

In drone footage seen by the P&J, extensive landscaping works have been taking place in the areas surrounding the Fanellan site and Moira’s home.

They are also concerned about the narrow single track roads surrounding their properties which they believe won’t cope with the many lorry loads required during construction.

‘We chose peace and quiet, not industrialisation’

It is not the first wave of renewables the family recalls passing through the Highlands.

Moira recalled when several Highland lochs were dammed in the name of hydroelectric power, and also led displacement of people and dismantling of a previous Highland way of life.

She said: “A lot of the residents were up in arms about it because again it was changing the countryside and the beauty of it.

“They were promised cheap or free electricity.

“This is the next stage, but at the expense of our country and the beauty of it – there’s going to be nothing left.

“It’s like the Highland Clearances, you’ve just got to sit, get on and deal with it.”

Caroline added: “It’s the way our lifestyles are. We choose to live in the country because of the beauty, and the peace and quiet.

“And instead we are going to be industrialised.

“You are living quite concerned. You can’t be at ease because you just don’t know what the future holds.”

‘Life is on hold since substation plans’

This uncertainty has directly impacted Caroline who has married and was hoping to move in with her husband.

However, despite her home having “umpteen” interested buyers, she said they were all turned away when they heard about the Fanellan development.

She is now fearing estate agents asking her to reduce the price of her home, and as a result her selling has been “put on hold” like a number of projects in her life.

Her daughter Connie, who is now in Australia, was hoping to establish a holistic retreat on the land but again has shelved her plans because of the uncertainty about Fanellan.

Caroline said: “It takes over your life because you’re so passionate about it.

“And no one is listening to us.

“There’s nothing green about it to destroy trees, the nature, natural habitat of all the animals.

“A month ago I was cutting hair and saw four big huge doves that must’ve flown over from the wood.

“Recently two stags appeared near us. The last time we saw that was the Snowman Rally in the wood.

“They’re all a bit misplaced now. It affects everybody’s life.”

Substation developer says they have listened to community

SSEN Transmission told the P&J they conducted “extensive” community and stakeholder engagement throughout the project’s three years of development.

This includes four public consultations held last year in which the P&J reported escalating tensions between developers and locals.

They said they have also taken community feedback on board especially in regards to substation traffic, and have worked with Highland Council to “mitigate vehicle movements” during “key points of the day.”

A spokesperson said: “A robust Construction Noise Management Plan is also being developed, which will aim to further minimise impact on residents.

“Investing to upgrade our electricity transmission network is a major driver of jobs and economic activity locally and across the north of Scotland.

“Our proposed Fanellan substation development is a big part of that.”

They added Fanellan will aid local businesses and deliver £1.06 million in community benefit funding to fund “local projects” that help to create a “positive legacy.”