I AM intrigued by the new VisitScotland campaign for visitors to embrace “slow travel”. They want tourists to go to one place instead of whistle-stop tours round Scotland. Unspoilt islands feature high on their list. Could it be that they have finally realised wind farms affect tourism?
A Government study in 2012 said between 18% and 32 % of visitors think wind farms have a negative effect on landscapes.
In March 2015 a Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) report showed the scale of areas affected by turbines had more than doubled in the past five years, from 19.9% in 2008 to 45.9% in 2013. The Scottish Government stopped this particularly useful exercise of a wind farm footprint map. I wonder why?
International visitors decreased across Scotland by 7% in 2019 with no explanation. Foreign visitors can choose to holiday in other countries free of turbines. Perhaps they were doing just that.
Please consider Dumfries and Galloway, which is one of the worst afflicted by wind farms. It has 490 turbines. In 2019 overall visits increased nationally by 17% and decreased 7% in Dumfries and Galloway, a difference of 24%. The spend increased nationally by 16% and decreased in Dumfries and Galloway by 13%, a difference of 29%.
Shutting the door after the horse has bolted and is still bolting springs to mind. How can ordinary people stop this economic suicide and destruction of their greatest asset, its scenery?
Celia Hobbs, Penicuik.

SAS Volunteer

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