Scotland's Wild Lands

Scotland's wild lands are home to rare wildlife, and offer places where nature can be conserved into the future. The distinctive landscapes, ecology and geology of our wild lands draw thousands of visitors each year, while the vast peatlands act as a carbon store, helping to protect against the extremes of climate change.

In recent years developers have been targeting these special places as possible sites for industrial-scale wind farms. While wind farms in general are a good thing as they contribute towards renewable energy targets, they need to be put in the right places. The wild lands of Scotland are not the right place for large windfarms for three reasons:

windfarms in these areas damage the ability of peatlands to act as carbon stores
they damage the habitats for rare wildlife and can directly kill birds of prey and bats
and they would require extensive cabling to link them up with the population centres that will use the power

The most recent large scale windfarm to be given permission is Creag Riabhach, near Altnaharra in the far north of Scotland. This will see 22-turbines up to 125m tall, five within Wild Land Area 37 and is the first time permission has been given for a development within the boundaries of an official "Wild Land Area." Scottish Government decisions on a number of other major wind farms that would damage wild land are also due.

The John Muir Trust is campaining to protect Scotland's wild lands from inappropriate large scale wind farm developments. You can find out more here.