Planned Cairngorms wind farm will ‘despoil’ area

Cairngorms National Park would be 'despoiled' by plans to build wind turbines nearby, activitists have said. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Swedish state-owned company Vattenfall has revealed it wants to build a “major commercial scheme” at the picturesque Dava Moor, four miles north of Grantown.

But a campaign group set up to object to another proposed wind farm on the moor at Cairn Duhie say they expect a “public outcry” against Vattenfall’s Ourack plans.

The firm, which already operates a green energy scheme on Skye, says it will not confirm how many turbines the Ourack development will have until next year.

Dick Ruane, spokesman for the Cairn Duhie Action Group said: “We anticipate that all the institutions which have formally objected to Cairn Duhie will treat this project similarly - notably the Cairngorm National Park Authority which voted unanimously to object to the Cairn Duhie application.

“It appears that the Vattenfall site will adjoin the park’s boundary.

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“We have no doubt that the public outcry which greeted RES’s Cairn Duhie proposal, and which has resulted in 1,880 individual objections, will be repeated if not exceeded.”

He added: “In fact, if this project ultimately goes ahead, it will further despoil one of the most beautiful and accessible wild areas in Scotland, cause irreparable damage to the environment and reduce local tourism activity.”

Further details of Vattenfall’s plans will be made available to the public at two exhibitions - the first at Edinkillie Hall, Dunphail, on Wednesday, January 21, and at Inverallan Parish Church Hall, Grantown, on Thursday, January 22.

Both events will run from 2pm-8pm.

A spokesman for the company said: “Vattenfall will forge partnerships with local and regional stakeholders to look at community ownership, community investment and ensuring the regional supply chain gets the opportunity to win business, if the windfarm goes ahead.

“Vattenfall has a successful formula and we can point to a strong track record where we operate of delivering significant local investment in partnership with local agencies and people.”

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