Leading conservation charity, the Scottish Wildlife Trust has raised an objection to a proposed windfarm in a vital area of peatland in Caithness and Sutherland, known as the Flow Country.

Peatlands are among the world’s rarest habitats, they provide breeding sites for rare birds and are extremely important for carbon capture.

The Strathy South planning application concerns a 47-turbine windfarm on a non-native conifer plantation, which would involve building on peat that in some areas is over 3.5 metres deep and may have taken over  3,000 years to develop. 

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is concerned that the proposals have the potential to negatively affect the neighbouring Caithness and Sutherland Special Protection Area, Special Area of Conservation and Ramsar site, as well as the associated Site of Special Scientific Interest. 

These internationally important sites have been designated for blanket bog and the  huge number of internationally rare species present including breeding golden eagle, golden plover and greenshank.

The Trust's Living Landscape Policy Officer, Bruce Wilson, said: “The Scottish Wildlife Trust recognises that onshore windfarms are among the most established of renewable technologies and supports their development as part of Scotland’s energy portfolio. 

“However, they must avoid sites where there would be unacceptable modification, loss or fragmentation of important species, habitats or ecosystems, in line with the criteria set out in our policy on planning.

“The Scottish Wildlife Trust believes each individual application should be carefully assessed for its potential environmental impact before consent is granted.

“In this particular case, the Trust believes that the environmental impacts to breeding birds such as hen harriers, golden eagles, greenshanks and merlin – not to mention damage to the internationally important peat bog – are far too great. 

Click here to read the Trust’s policy on energy and nature conservation.