A new set of "super turbines" planned to be built on the Isle of Lewis has been met with outrage from the residents of the island.
EDF Energy, a French company's renewables unit behind Lewis Wind Power, received initial permission for 91 onshore wind turbines reaching up to 200m in height, equivalent to a 62-storey building, which would be on par with some of the offshore wind turbines in the North Sea and far higher than any structure that currently exists on land in Scotland. 45 of these turbines would be placed in the area of Eishken Estate, near the border of South Lewis, Harris and North Uist National Scenic Area.
The project has been met with great controversy, being subject to over 200 objections in the Scottish Land Court, arguing that the island will be greatly affected by the development, and the "staggering" size of the turbines is going to have a detrimental effect on the tourism and landscape.
Rhoda MacKenzie, a spokesperson for the crofters group, said: "It's going to have a detrimental effect on tourism. The largest wind turbines in the UK? I hardly think that's going to bring people here."
She also added: "When it starts getting into "super turbines", that's intrusive. It's intrusive for the people that live near them. It's intrusive for the landscape."
Project manager for the Lewis Wind Power, Will Collins, said: "If we were to move to larger turbines, we are likely to use fewer of them, meaning there may not be huge changes to the overall capacity of the schemes"
He also added: "I think most people, businesses and organisations want the same thing - to see major renewable energy development here on Lewis and to secure the jobs and the economic benefit our two wind farms would deliver."
After several years of lack of support from the UK Government to onshore wind turbine projects, the recent changes in the schemes allowed such developments to take place in remote areas, such as the Island of Lewis. It then set off a race between developers to bid in auctions for government subsidies, which such developments rely on.
