Tomatin wind power station proposal

The Cairngorm National Park Authority has said that the park's "sense of wildness" would be harmed if the proposed wind power station comprising 29 turbines at Glenkirk, near Tomatin, were to be approved. The initial application by Eurus Energy was for 34 turbines.

The park's planning officers have recommended that the planning committee object to the proposal.

The turbines would be visible from several areas within the park including some areas of Aviemore and Glenmore as well as from Meall a Bhuachaille.

The Planning Committee will meet in Boat of Garten.

Below is a photograph of the Burnfoot turbines in the Ochils, taken from Glen Bee, none of which were turning on the five days we spent on these hills last week. The Green Knowes turbines were doing no better and this state of affairs is far from unusual.

Burnfoot turbines

Before the turbines

Friends of Dollar Museum

Last night Lynne gave a talk at Dollar Academy, based on her new book Beatrix Potter's Scotland - Her Perthshire Inspiration', to help raise funds for Dollar Museum. We were both happy to support the Museum as did Hamish Brown a few months earlier, and have been invited to give a talk on our 'Munro Years' or some other hill-related topic in the future, which we will happily do. Talk over, Lynne was presented with a lovely painting by a local artist of Castle Campbell.

The SE slope of King's Seat Hill which leads down to Castle Cambell and eventually to Dollar

Dollar Academy sits at the foot of The Ochils and this lovely small range of hills has given us both immense pleasure over many, many years and continues to do so.

The grassy path to Innerdownie through the August Blaeberries

 
 
 
 

Hen harrier decline

The numbers of hen harriers in Scotland has declined by a fifth according to new research, the RSPB blaming this on illegal persecution on managed grouse moors. There are thought to be about 500 pairs in Scotland but they are near extinction in England.

Estate managers claimed the accusation was unfair but Stuart Housden, RSPB Director in Scotland, claimed there was 'systematic and illegal persecution' particularly in the central and eastern Highlands and Southern Uplands of Scotland.

The Scottish Parliament will debate the Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill soon and Mr Housden has urged that amendments be adopted which would remove the sporting rights from landowners where there has been a history of illegal activity. The Bill, if passed, could also see the use of snares banned or at least regulated. "Vicarious liability" could also see estates criminally liable for the actions of their employees.

Various rural and land management organisations such as The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (Scotland), the Scottish Gamekeeprs Association and the Scottish Estates and Buisness Group said the statistics were flawed, their spokesman Tim Baynes saying " All of our organisations condemn the illegal killing of any bird of prey".

There has been only one recorded incident of hen harrier persecution in the last 6 years according to RSPB figures.

(Source - BBC Scotland News)

Photos

I've opened a few galleries at smugmug for some friends who've asked to see some old photos, so obviously they're available for anyone to have a look. For those who visited this blog when I started it just over a year ago, there's not much that's new - just what has been requested. Note: Smugmug is better viewed with Firefox which seems to display the pics them better.