Plans for 200m-high 17-turbine wind farm on edge of one of Scotland's world heritage sites

The Altnabreac Wind Farm, with “some of the largest turbines this area of the Highlands has seen”, has been proposed for a site next to the Flow Country - a vast area of peat blanket bog that was granted world heritage status last year.

The development, if approved, would be to the south-east of Altnabreac railway station, which is about seven miles from the Forsinard lookout tower, a focal point of the Unesco site.

The 130-megawatt project would consist of up to 17 turbines, each with a blade-tip height of up to 200m, and a battery storage system. The development is being taken forward by UK-based Wind2 for EDPR, which has its headquarters in Spain and an office in Edinburgh.

Developers said the design was being shaped by a “multidisciplinary project team through a consultation process, which is, and will, take into consideration feedback from consultees, the community and experienced consultants”.

A consultation on the plans with relevant parties is due to take place next week. A public consultation is scheduled for later in the month at the Ross Institute in Halkirk, a village about four miles from the proposed site.

In planning documents, Highland Council said while it is “supportive of renewable energy developments in principle, this must be balanced against the environmental impact of development”.

Council reports added: “Given the site location, this is a particularly sensitive and complex site to accommodate any form of wind energy development [that] would raise concerns.

“The proposal lies within an area of commercial forestry [Strathmore Forest] and although the site lies outwith any designated landscapes, it is encircled by several complex landscapes.

“Given this, the council has significant concerns in relation to the landscape and visual impacts, which are likely to arise as a result of this development individually, as well as cumulatively and sequentially with other development and consented wind farms located to the north and north east of the site.

“The proposed turbines will be some of the largest this area of the Highlands has seen, dominating views, particularly from the north/north-east and hill summits.”

The council added the proposed site was “located within an area that is offered significant protection due to the presence of carbon rich soils, deep peat and priority peatland habitat” and that “siting a commercial scale wind farm in this location will be very challenging particularly due to the proximity of a number of natural heritage interests”.

The Altnabreac Wind Farm website said the full planning application was expected to be submitted to Scottish ministers through the Energy Consents Unit this autumn. Onshore developments above 50 megawatts are determined by the Scottish Government under Section 36 of the Electricity Act.

The website said surveys and studies have and continue to be conducted for further assessment of certain environmental factors, including ornithology, landscape and cultural heritage.

The Flow Country, which stretches across 200,000 hectares of the Highlands, was awarded world heritage status in July last year. After almost 40 years of campaigning, the stunning patchwork of peatland, bog and rare flora and fauna was finally recognised and given the global Unesco label.

It joined locations such as the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef in the world listings.