Objections to the Talladh-a-Bheithe power Station- Scotland

photo above from David Lintern blog of the proposed turbine site at Talladh a Bheithe

We don't make much of a fuss in the US about wind turbines as they are everywhere. But everywhere for us, is mostly farmers fields and acres of cattle grazing space with little to no scenic value. What if we put a wind farm in Yellowstone, or the Grand Canyon, or the Badlands. I believe you would hear much complaining. Well that is exactly what Scotland is doing, putting giant wind turbine farms in their most scenic and beloved places. Those places that get the most tourist visitors and the most tourist dollars. Essentially shooting themselves in the foot. I don't pretend to know all the politics that are at work in their country over renewable energy vs the outdoors world, and I am not sure anyone there knows the whole story of how this can happen either (their Politicians seem to be just as corrupt and greedy as ours!). But I have been there and seen the destruction and eyesore these areas have become for no reason

Through a friend, Alan Sloman, I did write an objection letter to the appropriate Energy department to try and show that the continual building of these areas will not have a good result economically on the small communities that survive because of tourism and that tourism is from the scenic beauty of the area that is being destroyed.

Letter below:

Friday July 31, 2014


Karen Gallacher                                                                                      

Energy Consents & Deployment Unit

The Scottish Government

4th Floor - 5 Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU



Dear Karen

Objection to Talladh-a-Bheithe Wind Farm Application

I write to object to the above application by Eventus Duurzaam BV for consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to construct a windfarm on a site at Talladh-a-Bheithe, Rannoch.

I am sure you will be getting loads of emails objecting to these wind farms from local residents of Scotland and others from the UK. I thought I might give you a perspective as a foreign visitor and tourist to Scotland. My wife and I recently participated in the TGO challenge, an annual organized walk across Scotland that has been going on for more than 30 years. My wife and I had previously been to Scotland 22 years ago and relished the fact that we would be returning. The route we chose was through some of the country side that we remembered fondly as some of the best mountain views we have ever seen. Specifically the Corrieyairack Pass. We were quite frankly shocked to discover the damage the introduction of wind farms has caused to the scenery with the additions not only of the turbines themselves, but the haul roads to install them and the pylons to get electricity from them.

The United States is no stranger to wind farms and the need for new energy production. Within a few hours of my home in St. Louis, Missouri we have wind farms that exceed many dozen turbines. However all are situated in farm land that has no particular value to tourists or esthetics. In fact, the arrangement in some ways is actually beneficial to the farmers in some subsidies and the haul roads are quickly plowed under in next year’s fields. As energy mad as the US might be we would never consider putting wind farms or anything that could harm tourism in The Rocky Mountains, The Wind River Range, The Grand Canyon, The Smoky Mountains or Escalante National Staircase. These areas might provide perfect wind environments but the eyesore that they would cause, the communities they would destroy, is even here not acceptable.

I struggle to understand why with such a smaller land area in Scotland than the United States you would destroy some of the most beautiful scenery and the potential for so much tourist income by placing wind farms in your national scenic areas like the Cairngorms. I have no interest in returning to this area for tourism given the scenic destruction that has been caused to the landscape above Ft Augustus and Loch Ness.

I would urge you to reconsider this new installation and any future plans for such installations in protected and scenic areas and preserve the scenic beauty and earnings potential of the small communities that surround these area, which are filled with some of the most hospitable and lovely people we have ever had the privileged to meet.

Yours sincerely,

Craig Gulley

207 Tanner Dr., Wentzville, MO. 63385

P.S. I have attached example pictures of the damage we saw while walking across Scotland in this area

Feel free to write your own letter