What its position is on the conclusions of VisitScotland’s survey, Investigation into the Potential Impact of Wind Farms on Tourism in…

As part of our commitment to address climate change, the Scottish Executive has set targets for the production of more electricity from renewable sources. It is expected that wind energy will play a significant part in achieving those targets. There are around 15 windfarms operating across Scotland, and that number might be expected to double in the next five years as developers respond to the Executive’s policy commitment.
The Executive considers that, at the existing level of development, the impact of windfarms on tourism in Scotland is relatively minor. Indeed, there is evidence that renewable energy development is seen by at least some visitors as evidence that Scotland is an environmentally friendly country which takes itsclimate change obligations seriously. However, we do understand the importance oftourism to the rural economy and, through VisitScotland, we are fully committedto the promotion of rural tourism. That is why, with an increasing number of proposed windfarm developments and planning applications in the pipeline, we encourage developers of new windfarms to consult widely on their proposals with local communities, including community councils and other local interest as specified under Section 36 of the 1989 Electricity Act.