WHAT’S THE PLAN?
“Tributaries of the Etive channel huge volumes of water off the mountains to the valley floor”
In the 2012 Bond film Skyfall, there’s an emotionally charged sequence in which 007 returns to his native Scotland with M a slightly reluctant passenger in Bond’s classic gunmetal-grey Aston Martin DB5. The most iconic shot – used extensively in the film’s promotional campaign – features Bond and M peering down a misty glen on a cold, damp autumnal morning, having driven through the night to reach this stunning location.
Welcome to Glen Etive, where the 1,000m pillars of Buachaille Etive Mòr and Creise form one of the most definitive images of the Highlands – a vista as evocative as tartan kilts, malt whisky and the Saltire-etched faces of the clan warriors lionised in Braveheart.
Its proximity to the A82 main road over Rannoch Moor makes it one of the most accessible of the Highland glens and, despite an absence of any tourist facilities in the glen itself, visitor numbers have been rising. There have been issues with parking, litter, campfires and anti-social behaviour. Only around a dozen people live in Glen Etive itself, but they have become increasingly vocal about the nuisance caused by ‘weekenders’.
But another issue has created even deeper rifts between locals and visitors: a controversial plan to build seven ‘micro-hydro’ electric schemes throughout the valley. Opponents – often from outside the glen – worry about the effect on one of Scotland’s most pristine expanses of designated ‘Wild Land’. They say the scheme will leave permanent scars on a fragile upland ecosystem – and may have a negative impact on the resident local population of golden eagles and migratory Atlantic salmon. Supporters – among them residents – say that the proposal will bring much-needed economic activity to the area. Known as ‘run of river’ schemes, this form of hydroelectric power generation does not require large dams. Instead the turbines will be installed in pipelines alongside seven of the tributaries of the Etive, which channel huge volumes of water off the mountains, falling some 500 metres to the valley floor. The flow and the steep gradients make these mountain burns perfect sources of hydroelectric power.
Electricity generated will be exported to the National Grid in exchange for feed-in tariffs, providing a guaranteed return on investment.
The developer, Dickins Hydro, maintains that the seven schemes in Glen Etive will generate around 6.5MW of power – enough electricity for up to 8,000 properties – and provide a cash benefit to the community. It says the schemes will produce no pollution or noise and their visual impact on the glen will be minimal.
NOWHERE IS SAFE
Mountaineering Scotland – the organisation representing hill walkers, mountaineers, climbers and ski-tourers – fears that if planners are prepared to grant permission for schemes like this in touchstone landscapes such as Glen Etive, then nowhere is safe. There are also concerns about disturbing the glen’s wildlife.
Mountaineering Scotland’s access and conservation officer Davie Black agrees that harvesting Scotland’s natural resources has
The gradient and flow of Glen Etive’s mountain burns make them suitable sources of hydroelectric power. The proposed scheme could produce enough electricity to power 8,000 homes
been going on in the Highlands for centuries. “But harvesting is one thing,” he adds, “and intensive resource extraction is altogether different. There has to be a compromise between the need to protect Scotland’s wild and beautiful places and the needs of communities and we have to find ways of doing this that avoids further diminishing our wild places.”
Environmental scientist Texa Sim, from the Save Glen Etive Campaign, raises concerns over the effect on birdlife in the glen. “Disturbance and displacement could heavily impact the golden eagle population,” she says. Texa is also concerned about the impact on Atlantic salmon, which swim 12 miles up the River Etive from the sea to spawn. “Salmon populations are crashing on the west coast,” she says, “and while the population in the River Etive is healthy, it is vulnerable to development and changes in water flow regimes and temperature.”
CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE
While acknowledging the totemic status of the glen among the outdoor fraternity, supporters of the hydro schemes emphasise the crucial importance of investment to stem the trend of depopulation of the Highlands. Highland councillor Ben Thompson, who represents nearby Caol and Mallaig as an independent, says: “The hydro-schemes have been queried for generating far more power than the local populace could ever need, but the critics need to first ask themselves why so few people live in Glen Etive. A century ago, many more people lived in the glen, but today it’s almost impossible to make a living there because there is zero economic activity in it.”
Fellow independent councillor Allan Henderson says: “The idea that this is a piece of pristine wild land is fundamentally flawed. Glen Etive is right beside the main A82 and every weekend it becomes a bit of a circus as hundreds of folk come out of the cities and park their cars and camper vans all over the valley. These schemes are a way of bringing some muchneeded money into the valley – which the walkers and canoeists don’t – and it will potentially release some much-needed investment.”
The man behind the scheme, former City headhunter William Dickins, is now preparing to start work on all seven schemes. “I’m passionate about the landscapes of the Highlands but I’m also passionate about the need to generate more renewable energy in the UK,” says William.
The scheme will require the building of concrete intakes and outflows, and the laying of access roads and pipelines. William admits that “there will be some short-term pain during the construction phase,” but adds that “we are committed to reinstating any ground that we disturb and leaving no trace once construction is complete.” He also points out that the hydro scheme will make “around £35,000 a year for the community to spend as they wish”.
BEAUTY OR POWER?
The debate raging around the hydroelectric schemes in Glen Etive raises fundamental questions about how we reconcile the protection of wild landscapes with the need to mitigate human impacts on the wider environment.
At a time when the climate crisis is at the top of the political, economic and environment agenda, is clean power generation a more sustainable way to unlock the value of Scotland’s natural assets than tourism?