Pylons and a new wind farm will ruin our castle
I READ with interest (Mail) that the TV drama outlander has increased the numbers of visitors to our historic sites, in particular castles. I live near to the ruins of Auchindoun Castle, near dufftown in Moray, and have enjoyed seeing and meeting an increased number of visitors from around the world this year. It is always a surprise that they manage to discover the place as it is not listed on VisitScotland’s well-publicised Castle Trail nor promoted by historic environment Scotland, in whose care it rests. This is probably because it is free to access and they are unaware of how highly it is regarded and appreciated it is by those fascinated by castles. Auchindoun is one of just a handful of iconic hilltop fortresses in Scotland and has been to date a massively undervalued tourist attraction. I have yet to meet a visitor that has not been wowed by it, in particular by the fantastic views up glen Fiddich to the south-west. even bad weather doesn’t dampen their spirits, with many saying it has just added to their experience and is what they expected in Scotland anyway. I thought it ironic, therefore, that Alex Patterson, chief executive of HES, should say they were responding to the increasing interest by extending opening at their seasonal sites and was
promoting Heritage Awareness Day. Auchindoun castle is in the process of having a major (26m tall pylons at 180m intervals) power line built across the bottom of its access track. This will snake across the landscape in an area specially recognised and defined in the Moray Local Plan as being of ‘great landscape value’. It be clearly visible from the castle. In under a year’s time the large wind turbines of the wind farm being served by this line will also appear on the skyline. As supposed protectors of our most valued historic assets Historic Environment Scotland were naturally, as part of the planning process, asked to advise on the Scottish Government on the impact the development would have. I was surprised when HES did not raise any significant concerns over the impact these industrial-scale features would have on a landscape that contributes so much to the castle’s unique quality. Colin Mackenzie, dufftown, Banffshire.