07-07-2025
Objectors in 'David and Goliath' struggle to halt Perthshire wind farm scheme
Proposed Glen Lednock scheme would be visual intrusion in a scenic part of Highland Perthshire, say opponents.
Perthshire residents are campaigning against a wind farm project which they describe as 'the industrialisation of a precious mountain landscape'.
The proposed Glen Lednock Wind Farm, on the Invergeldie Estate near Comrie, adjacent to Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, comprises 19 wind turbines with a blade tip height of up to 200 metres.
Objectors this week insisted that company Low Carbon's application would be a major visual intrusion in a scenic part of Highland Perthshire.
They have formed a Save Glen Lednock group and urged objectors to submit comments before a consultation deadline of Monday July 20.
Comrie objector David Spaven commented: 'It's a bit of a David v Goliath struggle, fighting a big multi-national company – but remember that David won.
'With the combination of raised community awareness and a professional report we've commissioned, we're quietly optimistic that we can stop this destructive scheme which amounts to the industrialisation of a precious mountain landscape'.
Save Glen Lednock steering group member, engineer Martin Downing – who has worked on a number of other windfarm developments across Scotland – commented: 'I'm happy to see wind farms in the right places, but Glen Lednock is not the right place.
'The development would be a major visual intrusion in a scenic part of Highland Perthshire which is currently devoid of wind farms.
'The site is less than three miles from The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and the National Scenic Area along Strathearn.
'It would be visible from the paths up Ben Vorlich, Ben Chonzie and Ben Lawers, three of the most popular Munros in Scotland.
'The route of the proposed eight-mile access road from the A85 up Glen Lednock is appalling.
'The 30-feet-wide road corridor would destroy beautiful Carraglen, one of the loveliest parts of Strathearn.
'Many local people know next to nothing about this proposal, so we're getting out and about to raise awareness and encourage folk to make their own individual objections.'
Fellow objector Alastair Forsyth also pointed to the intrusive visual impact of Low Carbon's proposal.
He said: 'The spinning blades of the turbines would be visible from multiple locations, including Polinard Common in Comrie, Dalginross Roman Fort, the B827 Langside road, Torlum, MacRosty Park Crieff, Knock of Crieff, Schiehallion, Ben Lomond, and many, many more.
'And there would be a massive day-to-day impact on the residents of Glen Lednock.
'And immediately adjacent to the glen there is yet another wind farm proposal – in Glen Tarken. The cumulative impact of up to 31 turbines would be disastrous for a peaceful, mountainous landscape which is much enjoyed by walkers and climbers.'
Save Glen Lednock have set up a Facebook page and are hosting a drop-in information-sharing session from 10.30am to noon on Friday July 11 at the White Church Community Centre in Comrie.
Low Carbon state on the Glen Lednock Windfarm website: 'We recognise that the development of wind energy can cause disruption and damage.
'We are committed to taking every step to make sure that the potential negative impacts of any wind development on one of our estates are avoided or minimised where possible.
'We also make sure that any such developments are integrated into a wider masterplan for the site which delivers environmental restoration at scale, creating significantly more positive impacts than negative ones.
'While we recognise that this is not a perfect solution, we don't believe we have the luxury of finding perfect solutions, and we believe that we owe it to the next generation to do what we can to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss.'
