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To Pitlochry
To Crieff There were three proposals for wind farms in this area...
Griffin Forest - GreenPower propose to install 68 x 124 metre (400 feet) turbines in and around forest to the north of Trochry. An application has been presented to the Scottish Executive ... more details about Griffin Wind Farm and the impacts it would have... Perthshire sells it scenery. In fact the natural beauty of the landscape of Highland Perthshire is the foundation of a multi million pound industry, attracting visitors from all over the world and sustaining the rural communities. The quality of the Highland Perthshire landscape is such that it has been awarded with not one, not two, but three National Scenic Areas. From the gateways to the highlands at Creiff and Dunkeld, the glens, mountains and heather moorlands are the jewels which delight the eye of not only visitors to Perthshire but also are treasured by local residents. The Griffin Wind Farm proposal lies in the centre of this ‘golden triangle' of superlative scenery. The plan is for 68 enormous turbines (with heights of up to 124m, they will be more than twice the height of most turbines seen today in Scotland ). Coupled with around 25-30km of bulldozed roads covering the hillsides, the development site would cover an area the size of the city of Perth ! The visual impact of such an enormous industrial development in this superb nationally important landscape would be immense. Travellers on the Creiff to Pitlochry National Tourist route coming out of the Sma' Glen will be faced with views of this massive development for most of the next 12 km of their journey. The development will also be visible from other important tourist roads; visible from the summits of hugely important mountains such as Ben Lawers, Scheihallion and Ben Vrackie and from the more accessible summit of Birnam Hill; visible from most of Highland Perthshire's grouse moors; visible from many moorland footpaths, including those on the Dunkeld walks network, and walks around Pitlochry and to the north and west of Aberfeldy; and the Wind Farm will be right in the middle of the Griffin forest walking/cycle paths. (Many of these footpaths and cycle routes have been developed over recent years to enable more people to have access to the wonders of Highland Perthshire's Natural beauty). The potential impact of this development could be felt far and wide by many local businesses. The construction of such a massive development would also impose enormous and unsustainable pressures on the local road system for a period of nearly 2 years, and would also threaten the water supplies for almost the entire community of Strathbraan. The concerns local people have about the months of chaos and increased risk of serious accident on the local roads network; the fear for the security of supply and quality of the very basic necessity for life – water; these concerns are real and well founded. But above all the precious treasure that is Highland Perthshire's landscape is given to us not to squander and destroy but to safeguard and use sustainably for the benefit of the whole community, both today and for the generations to come. Is a wind farm of the size and scale proposed truly sustainable in this nationally important landscape? A landscape that is not only Perthshire's economic lifeblood, but also its spiritual lifeblood? This precious treasure needs your help. Let the decision makers know that the people of Perthshire and beyond say NO! Logiealmond Estate- AMEC originally scoped 40 turbines now reduced to 14 turbine site on the Earl of Mansfield's Scone Estate on the hillside to the south of Strathbraan, between Trochry and Amulree. This proposal was submitted while everyone else awaited the result of the cojoined public inquiry into Griffin Forest & Calliachar. Calliachar- Originally planned as a 46 turbine project on heather moorland north of Glen Quaich, near Amulree. I & H Brown having submitted the original application to the Scottish Government then submitted a 27 turbine project. While at first glance it may have appeared that the developer had addressed the issues raised by its first extremely shoddy application, they had again done less than the bare minimum and stretched the truth. It is symptomatic of their approach that a simple reduction of turbine numbers was seen by them as a mitigation\solution to a host of complex issues which, again, they had still failed to address. As more windfarm sites are being erected on an almost weekly basis this has fortunately been a classic example of one of the speculative proposals that the planning process weed out - yet it has still taking up the time, energy and money of others to ensure that this happened.
Also Near by: Abercairny - Originally 24 turbines were planned to be sited near Foulford Inn on the A822 Crieff to Aberfeldy National Tourist Route, close to Sma' Glen. This application has been rejected by the Scottish Executive. In total there are 13 windfarm developments ongoing or proposed for in and around Perthshire. Click here to download current details (29.04.04) |
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