Home / Environment / Conservationists Warn of "Irreplaceable" Landscape Loss in Proposed Highlands Wind Farm
Conservationists Warn of "Irreplaceable" Landscape Loss in Proposed Highlands Wind Farm
7 Oct
Summary
- Charity raises concerns over 65-turbine wind farm in Monadhliath Mountains
- Existing wind farms and proposed projects threaten "steady creep of industrialisation"
- Renewable energy transition seen as essential to protect landscapes from climate change
As of October 7th, 2025, a landscape conservation charity has raised serious concerns about plans for a large-scale wind farm development in the Monadhliath Mountains of the Scottish Highlands. The proposed Glenmarkie project, put forward by developer Vattenfall, would see up to 65 turbines erected in the remote and scenic region about 10 miles east of Fort Augustus.
The area is already home to several existing wind farms, including the 23-turbine Corriegarth Wind Farm and the 66-turbine Stronelairg Wind Farm, which was approved following a legal challenge. Now, the John Muir Trust, a leading conservation organization, is warning that the Glenmarkie proposal threatens an "irreplaceable" landscape.
According to the trust's director of land and policy, David Fleetwood, the steady proliferation of wind farms in the Monadhliath Mountains is leading to a "steady creep of industrialisation" that risks destroying the region's unique natural character. Fleetwood argues that urgent political action is needed to find a better balance between renewable energy development and landscape protection.
However, Vattenfall, one of Europe's largest energy producers, maintains that the transition to renewable power is "essential" to safeguarding these landscapes from the impacts of climate change. The company says it is committed to addressing local concerns and minimizing the cumulative effects of wind farm projects in the area.
