… and they keep adding more

Pat Spence knows she will eventually be completely encircled by the turbines.

ARECLEOCH was opened by Scottish Power Renewables in 2011 with 60 turbines and is 2.8 miles from Dochroyle.

To give an idea of scale, it sprawls over 15 square miles and construction firm Farrans chopped 1527 acres of trees down, put in 40 miles of road and 28 miles of high voltage cable.

The same year to the north and the 28- turbine MARK HILL came onstream, again operated by SP Renewables and is 1.8 miles away.

The firm are planning to double its size to the south east.

SP Renewables have put £ 300 million into the KILGALLIOCH site, spread over 12 square miles of peaty moorland.

The 96 turbines each weigh 96 tons and at the highest arc their blade tips extend 480 feet into the clouds. Again it is 1.8 miles away from Pat’s home.

Testing is happening now – one shockingly toppled when a truck reversed into it during 55 mph gusts in January – and it will be generating power for up to 130,000 homes by September.

In September, a new planning application will be lodged by Brookfield Renewables for eight 463- foot mills at Altercannoch – just six- tenths of a mile from Pat’s farmhouse.

Another application has been made at Chirmorrie for 22 mills – again 1.8 miles from Dochroyle – but operator Coriolis has previously been turned down.