Light fantastic

In his wide-ranging review of Scottish tourist attractions, Mike Cantlay (Friends of The Scotsman, 25 February) has ignored Scotland’s most iconic and popular feature: its landscape.

The hills aren’t that tall, the rivers aren’t that tumultuous and the architecture is not that picturesque, but the weather makes all the difference and distinguishes us from most of the rest of the world because of our light.

To those more accustomed to harsh sun and deep shadows, our ever-changing, gentle and subtle light is what visitors notice most of all.

Here in the Scottish Borders, the changing play of light on the flanks of the Southern Uplands reveals the anatomy of the land beneath: how it was formed, and what it has been used for.

This perception of our 
surroundings gives added value to the landscape, and draws tourists to it. But not for much longer if the relentless spread of wind farms is not curtailed.

VisitScotland can and should play a much bigger part in this contest by making it clear to the Scottish Government the damage to the landscape seems unstoppable unless their ham-fisted policy of developer-led siting of wind farms is stopped.

JE Pratt

West Linton

Peeblesshire