THREE hydro-electricity schemes planned for one of Scotland’s wildest and most beautiful glens could still be halted after an 11th-hour move to stop them. The schemes were approved by planners this week but now a fresh vote will have to be taken, and it could mean the entire Highland Council being bussed into Glen Etive to see for themselves the impact of the schemes on the area. The man behind the rethink says the three schemes are an important test of Scotland’s ability to protect wild land areas from hydro development. The schemes were among seven from Dickins Hydro Resources in Glen Etive, close to Glen Coe, approved by Highland Council’s Planning Committee South on Wednesday. The glen was made famous by its use as a backdrop in the James Bond film Skyfall and, with its single-track road leading down to the sea, it is a popular tourist destination. The hydro schemes include access tracks and dams on seven burns, and all seven had attracted opposition. The John Muir Trust and Mountaineering Scotland, the organisation for climbers and hillwalkers, were among those who objected to all or some of the schemes. The three on the south-east side of the River Etive attracted particular opposition as they are in an area designated as “wild land” by the Scottish Government in its official wild land maps, published after a wide ranging survey of wilderness areas carried out in 2014.
The National 24th Feb 2019 read more »
