Sir, – It’s the 18th Century and farmers and residents in the Highlands and islands are being cleared from the land for sheep and to remove a problematic highland culture.
Fast forward to the 21st Century and the few people left in these areas are being cleared for wind farms and tree plantations by the present SNP Government, ably assisted by the Green Party who don’t seem to mind the destruction of the very wildlife and scenic beauty they say they are trying to protect.
This government complains of a lack of democracy shown to them by the UK Government, but can’t or don’t want to see that they act in the very same manner – overturning planning decisions made by democratically-elected councillors and against the will of the local people on wind farms.
The most recent of these decisions was at Alness, although this has happened well over 200 times previously by the Scottish planning reporters.
Should they turn down a wind farm planning application, it is immediately overruled by Scottish Government ministers, and all this destruction to feed electricity into the central belt and boost a Green ego.
Large companies with the apparent blessing of the government appear to be buying up farm land to plant trees and applying for grants using taxpayers’ money to offset their carbon emissions – are there no MSPs who will speak out for the people in the Highlands and islands?
I would not be stunned if a government decree similar to that issued in the first Clearances was sent out allowing only those living in the central belt to wear tartan face masks and kilts – so much for the rights of the people that the first minister constantly refers too.
Jim Leitch, Evie, Orkney.
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