Golden Eagles Risk "Unacceptable" Wind Farm Threat

Conservation group Restoring Upland Nature (RUN) has urged the Scottish Borders Council to reject the proposed Scawd Law wind farm, citing an "unacceptable risk" to golden eagles. The project, planned by Fred Olsen Renewables, involves eight turbines up to 180m tall. RUN, which manages the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, asserts that collision risks for these rare birds are substantially higher than developer data suggests. They claim the potential for eagle deaths at this single site exceeds the risk from all current wind farms in southern Scotland combined. RUN's analysis, based on satellite monitoring and field observations, indicates outdated data is underestimating golden eagle activity in the Moorfoot Hills area. The group fears the development could jeopardize years of conservation efforts to reintroduce these birds to the region. Walkerburn Community Council also opposes the scheme, emphasizing the importance of the eagles' return after a century-long absence and the potential for the project to undo conservation progress. A planning committee is scheduled to review the application on March 2. This follows a recent incident where a golden eagle named Sparky died from a wind turbine strike in Dumfries and Galloway, the first recorded death of its kind by the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project.