A blow to tourism

Recent articles in The Scotsman on the proliferation of wind turbines across Scotland’s finest landscapes don’t really give the public a true graphic indication of what is happening. It really is totally out of control!

To take just one example, look at the blanket coverage in Aberdeenshire, as rich landowning farmers cash in on wind farm subsidies, milking the system for all it’s worth.

Another example, from the John Muir Trust, illustrates the encroachment onto the boundaries of our National Parks and treasured mountain landscapes. The damage is so bad that wind farms are now visible from no less than 60 per cent of Scotland (Wildland Research Institute, September 2014)

In a recent survey, with more than 500 people responding, over 80 per cent of them cited unspoilt countryside as what attracted them to the Highlands.

Over 70 per cent of respondents said the presence of wind turbines would affect their decision to stay in the Highlands, with about the same number saying the presence of the 500-plus wind turbines currently planned for the Loch Ness area would

affect their decision to stay there. More than 80 per cent said they would not choose accommodation with a view of a wind farm, with about the same number reckoning the presence of turbines made Scotland less attractive to tourists. GEORGE HERRAGHTY Lhanbryde

Moray