Tourists blow ill wind on renewable energy

PLANS for a massive expansion in the use of wind power in Scotland will spoil the country’s natural beauty, according to a major survey of tourists.

Research by VisitScotland, the national tourism agency, shows that more than half of visitors believe wind farms will mar the look of the countryside, and more than a quarter will avoid areas where they are built.

The survey has forced VisitScotland to reconsider plans to promote wind farms as a potential visitor attraction.

The results could also damage government plans to increase the number of wind farms in Scotland to meet self-imposed targets on renewable energy.

So far there are nine commercial wind farms north of the Border with a total of 200 turbines, but the Scottish Executive aims to quadruple the number of turbines over the next decade.

Supporters claim that far from being visually intrusive, wind farms could become a tourism asset.

But the VisitScotland survey will be seized on by opponents who argue that a proliferation of the facilities in scenic areas could cause long-term harm to Scotland’s biggest industry.

VisitScotland commissioned polling organisation NFO System Three to interview tourists in six areas - Galashiels, Portree, Oban, Huntly, Dumfries and Stornoway - where wind farms have either been built or are being planned.

Its report says four out of five (80%) of the 180 visitors who completed detailed questionnaires, said they came to Scotland for the beautiful scenery and almost all (95%) said they valued the chance to see unspoiled nature.

More than half (58%) agreed that wind farms spoiled the look of the countryside and more than a quarter (28%) said they would avoid an area where they knew a wind farm was sited.

The survey directly contradicts an earlier report which claimed nine out of 10 tourists said the presence of wind farms would have no bearing on whether they returned to an area for a holiday.

The Mori poll, commissioned by the British Wind Energy Association and the Scottish Renewables Forum surveyed 300 visitors to Argyll, which has three working wind farms.

SRF chairman Rob Forrest said the VisitScotland survey had not involved a representative sample of people.

But wind farm opponents countered that previous surveys had been biased in favour of the industry. Ann West, spokeswoman for Country Guardian, said: "We are very pleased about these findings as they support what we have been saying for a long time. Although some people like wind farms there are many who don’t want the countryside to be industrialised."

The Scottish Executive believes Scotland is one of the best places in Europe to supply increasing amounts of electricity from wind power and there are currently 40 wind farms in operation, under construction or in the early stages of the planning process.

An Executive spokeswoman said the study for VisitScotland provided a useful contribution to the debate on renewables.

Full report to be published tomorrow on www.scotexchange.net