SOME called it a crime against the environment. Others compared it to
taking a razor blade to a Rembrandt. But no matter how its opponents chose
to describe the Beauly to Denny power line, their concerns about its impact
were genuine and well placed: developments such as the Beauly–Denny line
create jobs, contribute to the economy and the country’s electricity
network and renewable targets, but all of that has to be balanced against
the potential for damage to the environment and the tourist industry that
depends on it.
Exactly the same balancing act applies to the new
Beauly–Blackhillock–Kintore project which will see the erection of 163ft
high pylons close to the Culloden battlefield. Other heritage sights will
be affected too, such as the Clava Cairns, a complex of graves and standing
stones dating from the Bronze Age.
The developers of the scheme, Scottish and Southern Energy, have naturally
been highlighting the benefits for customers – there will be new jobs and
the new Blackhillock substation will link an offshore windfarm to the
national grid. And it is true that offshore windfarms linked to the grid
will need to be a part of a balanced energy policy, based on a mix of
sources, including renewables and nuclear.
But the National Trust for Scotland is right to be worried about the plans.
The organisation says it is concerned that, should the plans go ahead at
Culloden, there would be three large pylons passing through the glen within
a mile of each other. But it is also worried that the scheme could damage
Scotland’s tourist industry.
The stakes are certainly high as Scotland’s tourism industry generates some
£12billion of economic activity annually and is growing at the rate of four
and five per cent every year so anything that might damage that success
should be treated with caution. Pylons and wind turbines will always
attract nimbyism, but the concerns of an organisation like the National
Trust for Scotland are in a different league and must not be ignored. SSE
must rethink its plans.
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