We want more turbines, say rural Scots

TWO-THIRDS of Scots living in rural areas back the building of more onshore wind turbines, a poll has found.

Statistics reveal that 66 per cent of Scots living in the countryside support the use of the renewable energy.

Only 11 per cent said they opposed new onshore wind farms, while 22 per cent had no opinion. The survey, the first major study of its kind to include people outside the Central Belt, questioned 1,036 people.

The results indicated high levels of support for renewable energy technology, with almost 77 per cent of those surveyed backing offshore wind energy, 80 per cent supporting wave and tidal, 81 per cent solar energy, and 67 per cent supporting biomass – energy obtained using organic material.

And despite widespread protests from campaigners, the poll found that 32 per cent think Scottish ministers should allow fracking, the controversial technique designed to recover gas from shale rock.

Jenny Hogan, deputy chief executive of Scottish Renewables, said: ‘The nature of Scotland’s renewable energy resource – our wind, tides, forestry and even our long summer evenings, among others – means many renewable energy developments take place in rural areas.

‘The continued deployment of clean power technologies is backed by the very people who will benefit the most.’