Yes - If we don't allow clean energy resources to be developed, and we continue to rely on fossil fuel and nuclear technology, we're in real trouble. The sanctity of our scenery will be the last thing on our grand-children's minds if they have to worry about rapid global warming and nuclear waste. Conal Jardine

Yes - We really have to get serious about climate change, and everything possible has to be done. We have more wind than almost anywhere in Europe. Think what happened when the electricity grid was set up -- do you really think those giant pylons marching grimly across so much of our countryside are acceptable while grandly revolving turbine blades are not? Cherry Lavell, Cheltenham

No - Wind Farms seriously damage the landscape and are particularly unwelcome in remote and beautiful areas. They are a massively inefficient way of generating electricity and do not remove the need for allocating conventional generating capacity to cover the occasions when the wind does not blow. Charles Tongue

Yes - The more wind farms, the better in my opinion. We must move forward to help reduce the threat to the planet. Also, in my opinion, I think they look beautiful!! Steve Hodgkiss

No - Because it's a short-sighted, very damaging plan, rushed into in order to benefit commercial interests, whilst ignoring the interests of people who actually live in the area. Furthermore, should the plan go ahead, (shame on the perpetrators) it could be fatal to the local tourist industry, a shocking despoilation of the areas natural beauty. Once lost , never recovered. Only the money-grubbers win. Anne Chadwick

Yes - It is absolutely vital that the UK start to make more power from sustainable sources. Wind is free and we'll always have plenty of it here. I live in one of the nearest houses to the proposed windfarm (Brooklea, Inchbae) and I was not contacted by Garve council to be part of the vote for or against the initial development by Infinirgy UK. I and my partner bought this house 3 yrs ago and are both strongly in favour of windfarm technology - in fact my partner is at the moment looking at buying a turbine for providing his own electricity for one of his houses on the West Coast. Laura McWhinney

Yes - I understand anxiety that the power is not entirely for local consumption but we are running out of choices on energy generally and England is not a very windy place for much of the year. It would be even better if we could build wind turbines in the heart of the city + at point of consumption, but this has attracted even more opposition. Tom Hellberg

Yes - The scientists have under-estimated the impact of climate change. Every new report shows that things are worse than previously reported. We have to somehow do some things. Peter Robinson

No - Creating wind farms is an act of vandalism because they ruin our beautiful countryside and the wind system does not produce enough electricity to make such an act worthwhile. Gloria Oates

No - The revised proposal is no improvement on the original proposal and will destroy an area of unique beauty, currently enjoyed by thousands, to be enjoyed in the future by millions. Let us not destroy our unique landscape in this way. Simon Wergan

No - A far more effective method is small single windmills sited close to groups of houses or a farm - the energy therefore created is not wasted and unslightly, huge windmills avoided. We should look to our forebears for the answers - they were on the right track. YCL

No - Its size will overwhelm the area, with many significant adverse affects on wildlife, people, environment and landscape. The Carbon Emission/Environmental benefits do not justify building windfarms on this scale in such locations JUST BECAUSE it is difficult to get consent at the moment in more suitable places. Existing Government support encourages all wind farm power plants in a poorly planned fashion, and when it comes to an end it will be realised that schemes such as Lochluichart should not have been supported, and that the resources would have been better applied elsewhere - both as to windfarms and other technologies. Henry Birkbeck, Kinloch Hourn and Westacre, Norfolk

No - Scotland has the Loch Ness Monster and the Scottish Parliament. It does not require a white elephant. Or more of them. Greg Waggett

No - I do not decry the technology, I simply say it belongs offshore where it cannot be seen. Furthermore, councillors and MPs recently attended and inspected the site of Mohammed Al Fayed's proposed windfarm at Beinn Roishal in Lairg, and as a result refused the application. Any person involved in the Lochluichart application MUST go to the site and see for themselves what is going to be ruined. Fraser Gray, Sal Mhor, Laide, Wester Ross

Yes - My vote, coming from here in the States out on the West Coast, was "yes". Mr. Hugh Piggott of Scoraig, Scotland provided the links for this question. What has impressed us here over the years with the many wind turbine projects is that even the tallest wind turbines shrink in size to almost nothing with just a few miles (kilometers?) distance (and that the detractors who made themselves known beforehand shrink in good repute with their neighbors with just a few months of project operation after completion). The turbines are really very nice to look at and provide a warm feeling inside. The good Lord is looking out for everyone's benefit in the years ahead. Anthony Chessick

Yes - There is compelling evidence for the use of renewable energy resources, and that more should be done to encourage renewables instead of discussing the nuclear folly once again. I also think wind farms look amazing! Simon M.

No - With current technology wind farms are an inefficient form of energy supply. If given the go ahead who is going to restore these sites and dispose of this obsolescent equipment? We would be sanctioning the creation of yet another long term industrial wasteland. Fred Belcher

No - It is interesting that many of those criticising the No voters as NIMBYs are commenting from the energy-demanding south. My retort to them is please insulate your homes, get rid of your 4x4s, install solar cells and small windturbines, use public transport and fly less. Lobby for government spend in other alternative energy sources including nuclear fusion and do not ride this one horse energy solution. Like the hydroschemes before them, and the current one at Glendoe, these windfarms will only create a peak of jobs, with many workers brought in from outside because the Highlands cannot meet the demand. In the long term it will impact the tourist industry with the net effect of a loss of jobs. It has no economic benefit to the Highlands. Please let us learn from history and do not despoil the Highlands yet again to satisy the insatiable desires of the South. Dave, Aberdeenshire

No - I am a Welshman who loved going to the hills of north Wales, but now never go back there. There is now no wild view in Wales - every hilltop is in sight of the windfarms. My people have desecrated their inheritance at the behest of rich Londoners. The Scots are a prouder people, strong enough to tell the money men to stop hiding their greed behind a false concern for the planet. Ask them how many flights a year they take, and how many they have cut back to save the planet. Your forebears and your children will be ashamed of you if you allow this desecration of the highlands. Michael Hughes, Dorset

No - Don’t build it. Honest weighing up of the pros and cons show you that it should not go ahead. Ginnycorb

Yes - It amazes me how those who selfishly oppose wind farms think it’s fine to just carry on polluting the atmosphere, leaving our grandchildren to pick up the tab with eventual ecological catastrophe. If we want to continue in our cosseted, luxurious lifestyles we have to pay the price of energy generation. Science has told us we cannot continue with fossil fuels at our current rate so alternatives have to be found. Perhaps anyone willing to oppose wind farms should also be willing to sacrifice their electricity demands and return to the stone age. Or do they honestly think we should carry on emitting vast quantities of Co2 to condemn our children's future!?? Steven Crawford, Lincoln

No - The generation of electricity accounts for around 25% of greenhouse gasses. Focussing on wind generated electricity takes attention away from the other 75%, mainly transport and heating. However, variable wind-produced electricity in the grid needs large amounts of power station backup to ensure a constant stable supply. Ewan Nelson

No - The wind turbines are a hideous blot on any landscape. Fran Charlesworth

Yes - You have the wind, use it, they are essential. Paul Stubbs in Somerset where there is some wind but not enough!

No - This would desecrate one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland. No human being has the right to do this. Christopher Penn, London

Yes - All those do gooders, general moaners and NIMBYs are quick to condemn proposals for renewable energy whether it be wind, wave or whatever but they don't put forward any sensible or attainable solutions. It's about time a national vote was carried out and the results of such a vote carried through and put into practice where the majority would benefit rather than being held to ransom by some namby pambys who can't see any further than next week. Iainissy

Yes - We should be doing absolutely everything we possibly can to support and promote renewable energies given the current dangers posed by global warming and the need to reduce carbon emissions. Besides which, how on earth can anyone claim that nuclear power is less damaging than wind turbines! Elizabeth Baines

No - Because it would spoil the Highlands! W van Beiningen, Holland

No - Vandalisation of the highlands, cumulative effects of windfarms in Scotland major negative impact on tourism our great white hope for the economic future of Scotland. There has to be a public inquiry. Tom Ingleby

No - Windfarms are a blot on the landscape - in this case Scotland’s finest. As an energy source they are expensive and inefficient. They will soon be seen as a disastrous over subsidised form of energy that made landowners and developers very rich at the expense of the energy consumer. They will do little to reduce carbon monoxide emissions. Jenny Scobie

Yes - I am cautious about supporting this wind farm, but the fact that SNH and RSPB are not opposed persuades me. The threat of climate change is so great that we must do all we can to ameliorate, but we must also take care to build wind farms on the least sensitive areas first – and this is not. My hesitation therefore is because of the landscape. It is not, however, a big scheme, and can be dismantled eventually, rather than rebuilt/repaired, if it proves unacceptable, or if enough renewable energy becomes available in time from other sources. Sara Barry, Glasgow

No - Having a bit of experience with wind farms, their placement, outputs etc, and the look of them, I know it’s in the wrong place and will not be as efficient as it could be elsewhere, for example near a flat coastline. Andrew Allan

No - When I fly into Newcastle upon Tyne l admire the sheer sense of the Local council in placing their wind farm on a coastal breakwater and in the shallow water to its seaward side. Despite the relative unobtrusiveness of the location and the excellent uninterrupted wind capturing location, I am always surprised that the turbines are more inactive than turning with vigour! My family have lived in Suffolk for the last 33 years some four miles from Sizewell nuclear power station. Every day of the year it is a huge and beneficial source of power for the National Grid and employment for the local community. That it achieves without blighting vast swathes of magnificent countryside and these part time windfarms are not the serious solution to Britain’s power needs. Alistair Calder

No - Reasons: visual impact, industrial landscape, wrong priorities. I also believe this area was once the estate of the legendary elephant hunter "Karamojo" Bell who retired here and hunted red deer. If he had seen the proposals for his estate he would be turning in his grave. Dr Julian Hunter, North Kessock

No - Why don't the government give everyone the option of buying solar panels to heat their water and swifts to go on their roofs if they are in rural areas, and the option of solar panels on roofs with a local wind generator for them that live in cities. It’s very much a case of I don't want it on my back door step, when it comes to windfarms going on brownfield sites. Well guess what, Id rather they were there than in my backyard, when my yard is the highlands and islands of Scotland! Jane Evans

Yes - I'd rather have a windfarm in my backyard, then a nuclear power station! I think wind-energy is much better then nuclear power, or burning fossil fuels and polluting the air and environment. Mike Lindlahr

Yes - Windfarms are a cheap source of renewable energy that do not harm the environment. There should be more of them. TD

No - Where is the electricity to be used? I suspect it is going to be exported to south of the border - electricity should be generated where it is used, not spoil someone else's country by unsightly turbines and pylons. Community-owned windfarm schemes where the electricity generated is used by the local community - great! Mairi Brown

No - Scotland's highland landscape is priceless and incredibly beautiful, as well as being a wonderful tourist attraction. This wind farm would ruin a large area of it for millions of visitors and for generations to come. Far from saving the planet, this would be destroying it. There is a place for wind farms, e.g. in the central belt, in Ayrshire, and amidst landscapes elsewhere already degraded. Alan Dawson

No - I sincerely hope that this windfarm will not happen, for the sake of wildlife, natural beauty and the Highland economy. Michael Power

Yes - We need wind-farms because other wise we have run out of time to avert the scenario depicted in the Met Office's Hadley Climate Change report of a very hot planet by the end of this century. Bernard Little

No - Yet more random spoiling of our countryside for trivial gain. I would like to see a properly independent study of the costs of wind farms and other sources of power, to allow a real and true comparison without pressure from one or other side. It appears at present that landowners stand to gain too much just from subsidies - but I’d like to know the truth. Ian Macnab

No - This project is based on financial greed. It will do precious little for the environment except to ruin for ever a most beautful part of the Highlands. It must be stopped. Anthony Dunbar

No - Wrong place, wrong time. This area of outstanding natural beauty deserves better. Russ Manion

No - Scottish energy requirements will never be satisfied even if our whole countryside is covered with turbines. Profit is pushing this proposal, not the desire to produce clean energy. The Scottish Executive should grasp the nettle and support replacing our nuclear sources. David Laidlaw

No - I believe that the energy required to build the turbines, pylons and produce and transport the cement to build the roads etc. could exceed the energy produced by the turbines. Thus traditional means of producing power can be equally, if not more, energy efficient, including nuclear energy. Phil Lambert

Yes - I support all forms of alternative energy and feel strongly that it is in everyone’s best interests to do so. We cannot allow the NIMBYs to block progress as eventually we will need to have hundreds of wind farms, alongside many other forms of alternative energy, to supply the needs of the whole country. Sue Greenstreet

No - What seems to be forgotten about wind farms is the cost of producing these machines in pounds and carbon. After 25 years they will cost a vast amount of money to remove and leave behind 1000s of tons of concrete. Why can not these Wind Farm Industrial Estates be built near to where they are needed which would make sense as then there would be little loss of power generated as where they would be up here in the Highlands of Scotland they will lose about 50%.We already have many Dams up here producing a lot of power, very green and lasting a lot longer than 25 years.I wonder if the price of power will come down with all this green energy? We should be educating people to use less not creating more. R Baker, Scatwell

Yes - Wind power is a safe, renewable source of energy. The UK could be self-sufficient in energy if the government put as much investment into wind, wave and tidal power as it has wasted over the past 40 years in nuclear energy, which even now, when it's running properly, provides only 6.8% of UK energy needs. Wind turbine sites can be returned to green field sites; nuclear sites are contaminated for thousands of years. Jo Brown, Deputy Co-ordinator Stop Hinkley, Burnham-on-Sea

No - Regardless of what this developer tells you about the efficiency of wind farms what he won’t tell you is that the energy consumed to build the turbines and more importantly the infrastructure (the production of the cement to build the concrete roads for example) far outweighs the energy produced by the turbines over their lifespan. More traditional means of producing power are far more energy efficient in the overall - even nuclear energy! He also will not tell you about the effect of the wind farm on the loss to the tourism of the area or the loss of our rare species of birdlife on their migratory routes. This scheme must be stopped at all costs. Alan Sloman, Cambridgeshire

Yes - Wind power is the cleanest, healthiest way of generating electricity. David Callaghan

No - There is a time and a place for everything, it may be the time for wind generators but this most certainly is not the place. Tony Hulme

Yes - Windpower is a fantastic opportunity to generate the electricity which we all need without adding to global warming. It would be crazy to turn this application down. Personally I think wind farms add to the beauty of landscape, and especially due to their benign effects. Rachel Ross

Yes - If you and I don't do all that we can in the next twenty years to invest in energy-efficiency and in providing an endless supply of non-polluting energy, then life for our children and for theirs won't be worth living. David Crawford, Dorking, Surrey

No - Scotland is fed by hydro power and there is enough of it to satisfy all her needs. Why should we blight our countryside with wind farms to service another country? It is time to stop and feed only our own nation and keep our countryside for its unblemished beauty. Rhona Clark

Yes - If we do not allow wind-farms we will find ourselves in a terrible position as our gas and oil run out. I CANNOT understand the opposition - these are effectively temporary structures. David Henshaw

No - Even the revised scheme is an unacceptable intrusion into an area of magnificent landscape. Our Highland scenery is the only realistic hope for long term prosperity for the inhabitants; it should not be ruined by inappropriate industrial scale development. John Donohoe

No - The true total and unsubsidised cost of generating electricity from either onshore or offshore windfarms is simply not viable. Other debate on the matter is secondary to the above. David Harrison, Chartered Engineer

No - The plan to turn the Scottish West Highlands into a wind-farm is ludicrous given that the small amount of generated energy, in real terms, will not even benefit the folks that will have their environment wrecked. I am not against wind farms if they are located in areas where the local residents will directly benefit from the energy generated, but definitely NOT in areas that will be devastated by their presence. Sue Goldberger

Yes - For a sustainable renewable energy source. Mark Pickering

Yes - There is a desperate need for as many wind farms as we can while we still have a chance to stop irreversible damage to the planet. They're a lot more graceful than pylons & I wouldn't mind living near them. Soo Chapman

Yes - It makes good sense for this to be built, if you have any real interest in the future of Scotland, and the natural environment. Donald MacPherson

Yes - I support wind farms and am angry that the Ramblers Association rejects them. Julie Boston

No - Unsightly noisy ineffective a blot on the landscape in this area of great beauty. Victoria Legge

No - Planning a windfarm in the Scottish highlands is ruining the beautiful countryside. One must be out of one’s mind to think of such a plan. Generations ahead of us will suffer of this ridiculous idea. There is no logic, nor rationale behind the plan. The economic benefit does not outweigh the destructing of nature. Albert van Dedem, Amstelveen, Holland

No - Wind farms are merely paying lip service to pc demands for renewable energy They are a blight on the landscape,are inefficient and are so costly that a payback date will never be reached. Tom Russell

Yes - I will stop taking my holidays in Scotland if this gets the go ahead. I will go the the Swiss Alps instead. Alex Lloyd-Jones

No - If the price of energy is to cover parts of the rural landscape with Wind Turbines, then the price is too high. They should be located in industrial landscapes or near power stations and refineries or anywhere where they would not look so out of place. We cannot sacrifice the beauty of the landscape with these machines. Antony Preston

Yes - The wind farm is an appropriate and timely response to the twin challenges of climate change and terrorism. I live in mid Wales, which has hundreds of wind turbines, and I support the local proposal which is within 5 miles. Hugh Richards BArch MA MRTPI, Planning and Design Consultant, Llandrindod Wells

Yes - It will provide employment to the area. Katherine Mackay

No - The wind farm would desecrate an area of great natural beauty which in turn would affect the livelihood and well-being of many in the area. The energy benefits are highly questionable. Richard Nathanson, London

No - The technology of wind farms of this scale is flawed. They do not work - that is why in Denmark and Germany the Governments have stopped the subsides. The only people that benefit are the Landowners and the power companies. Ian Cockburn

Yes - To assist in sustaining employment for this local construction company, (employing 70 people), and presently working on sections of the renewable energy facilities in the Highlands. Experience has demonstrated that windfarms are environmentally advantageous, with positive benefits to the local community and natural habitat. Windfarms are amongst the most aesthetically pleasing Failure to create substantial alternatives to previous energy generation in the form of renewables, would have a significantly adverse effect on the Highland area. Donald MacPherson, Managing Director, Les Taylor Construction (Northern) Ltd

No - I don't object to wind power per se but many of the wind factories going up just now are merely a PR exercise to make the government look as if it is tackling global warming rather than dealing with it effectively. As we have seen in my native Lammermuir hills, they are a total blight on the landscape, ruining views for miles around - and with that, creating a negative impact on tourism. Carol Carr

No - Already in Sweden and Denmark they have stopped building and are dismantling these highly inefficient electricity producers, that can only work when heavily subsidised by the tax payer. If we are prepared to carry the cost of the minimal contribution that wind farms can make to the general energy production (3 percent?), then they should not be built in places where they ruin the environment, but only on islands or coastal areas. W. van Dedem, Fannich Estate, Ross-shire

No - Motivation for this farm is purely financial - talk of ethical investment and the like is totally erroneous from these people. They are simply greedy like all other big businesses involved in providing energy (speak to Offwat about the lack of competition and the consequent impact on our bills!) And meanwhile our most valuable natural heritage is being destroyed ... David Fyffe, Aberdeenshire

No - As an Englishman who loves Scotland and the Scots I consider it is tragic that the Scottish authorities can allow their beautiful scenery to be despoiled. I am “green” but this scheme is too big and in the wrong place. Please try and find an alternative location (offshore?) Once the project is completed it can not be undone. Richard Shuttleworth

Yes - A significant wind power portfolio is of vital importance in that it plays a substantive role in achieving diverse and sustainable energy supplies to meet environmental and financial and strategic objectives in the years ahead. In the renewable sector, wind power offers the most effective solution and is now a well proven technology and as energy prices increase, demonstrates strong commercial viability against alternative energy production technologies. Bob Kennett

No - The reasoning behind wind turbine power generation is flawed. When the wind is not blowing wind turbines produce no power and therefore the supply of electricity is not reliable. R Cooper

No - I can see no advantage whatsoever in allowing turbines to be erected. Why not use derelict wasteland within and around cities? There would be ample wind to power the turbines, certainly as much or as little as there is in the country. Why spoil beautiful places and endanger wild life? Julia Plumptre

Yes - We need more energy produced by renewable sources to reduce carbon emissions and reduce our dependence from fossil fuels. In a few years we shall be importing over 90% of our gas requirements from countries like Russia and North Africa. F. Barillaro

Yes - Wind farms create a pollution free energy source. I think with the global warming situation we should be promoting this type of energy source not dismissing it. Stuart Murden

No - This wind farm will blemish the natural scenic beauty of the area - why should the natural beauty of the highlands be blemished to service the demands of urban populations very many miles away?! Let's wait until under the submarine wave power technology really gets viable enough to service all of Scotland's needs, and not destroy the environment in the meantime! Wave power technology is hot and is coming in big time! Ned Magennis

No - My husband and I own the studio in Achnasheen and have been meeting and speaking to tourists in our shop for the last 10 years and we know that tourists come to the area because it is an unspoilt wilderness. These tourists would stop coming to Wester Ross if this wind farm went ahead. Why should our lives be ruined to benefit one "fat cat" from down south? Susan and Stephen Plowman

Yes - Wind farms are the best environmentally friendly source of power that we have. We have to do something about climate change now, it is going to affect us all. All the objections to wind farms are based on false claims and bad science or else on purely subjective perceptions of what is attractive. Wind farms are a tourist attraction in other countries and most people in the UK are in favour of them. Deborah Williamson

Yes - Because climate change is an urgent call for change – part of this is providing green energy. We can no longer procrastinate. Dr Keith Richards OBE, TV Energy Ltd

Yes - I live on the Isle of Wight where a wind farm application has just been rejected by the local council. I think the Council should be ashamed of their decision because we really need to start building wind farms now. Only by building them will we start to generate clean energy and also vital - improve our knowledge of how to do it more efficiently and sympathetically to the environment. A wind farm is a lot better proposal than a nuclear power plant. Amy, Shalfeet, Isle of Wight

No - The whole scheme is totally crazy. It destroys major parts of Scotland's heritage and our nation's wilderness, it does not stand up economically and it can only supply a very limited number of homes, and not all of the time. Stephen White

No - They are unnecessary, uneconomical and ineffective and despoil the countryside for no purpose (other than meeting some obscure political imperative). In due course, new giant “off-shore” wind farms will make all “on-shore” wind farms redundant. I am totally opposed to their building and installation anywhere in the UK. Michael Denny

Yes - I am a strong supporter of wind energy. Tony Garland

No - Reasons for saying no are: energy contribution will be minimal; devastating effect on visual amenity of the naturally beautiful site; devastating effect on game and wildlife; government has switched to nuclear energy as the future for UK plc; wind farms in Europe are being dismantled after only 10 years – Denmark and Sweden are cases in point; if the government want wind farms, put them offshore – the cost increase is not significant; need I go on? Steve Callaghan, Chief Executive Officer, MMI Research Ltd, Hartley Wintney, Hants

No - It would spoil a wonderful tract of Scotland. Guy Paterson

No - This scheme is driven by the commercial in the interests of those who are promoting it. There is very little evidence that it is a cost-efficient way of generating energy and in my view the damage it will do to some of the most lovely unspoilt countryside that is still left to enjoy, is entirely unjustified by the very marginal benefits is purports to provide. Selina Elwell

No - The eventual environmental benefit is not certain enough to justify the impairment of one of the Highlands' most unspoilt areas. The carbon cost of the industrial installation will be high, but the real problem is that the resultant energy supply will be too unreliable to contribute towards the decomissioning of nuclear or coal powered stations, which must always be on standby emitting carbon. Windfarms certainly have a place in a sensible energy policy, but in microgeneration, and not in installations so far from centres of consumption. The locals will bear the cost of lost tourism and gain no benefit from cheaper electricity; the only parties that stand to gain are the Lochluichart landowners and the multinational corporation behind the scheme. Jamie Grimston

No - Because of visual impact, danger to birds, adverse long term impact on tourism, flawed and disingenuous analysis on reducing carbon emissions. Alasdair Douglas, London

No - This desecrates a beautiful wilderness. There is no point in saving the planet from global warming if in the process we destroy the aspects that make it worth saving in the first place - including unspoiled landscape beauty. I am also very concerned at the visual impact of pylons/transmission cables to take any power generated. This aspect is often brushed aside but should receive proper examination and alone would justify going to public enquiry. Andrew Joy, London

No - This is not an argument about the benefits of wind power, which as all those well informed will know, is an inconclusive debate. There is no question however, that the proposed windfarm will line the pockets of the developers at the local community's expense. I am frankly appalled by what I see as the flagrant exploitation of this community by energy bigwigs and self-styled 'experts'. This outstanding area of natural beauty is a distinctly fragile environment. The trauma caused by the construction and maintenance of the proposed windfarm will irreversibly damage this last great wilderness. The local Scots, and nobody else, will be left to pick up the pieces. Edmund Glover, St. Andrews

No - It is against the interests of the electricity consumer that energy should be generated so far from its market. Up to 30% of the electricity generated is lost in transmission. Windfarms should be built on brownfield sites close to the towns and cities that will use the electricity. On-shore wind is the most expensive power currently generated, pushing up prices for the consumer and industry. It is only viable through the ROCs (Renewable Energy Certificates) which are a form of subsidy also paid by consumers and taxpayers. As ROCs are tapered in the near future electricity from this area could become uncompetitive in the next few years. Lochluichart could become a Stranded Asset. This scheme is too near the mountain landscapes of Wester Ross, from which it is visible. These priceless landscapes attract tourists from round the world and should not be threatened by unnecessary industrial development. Sue Hopkinson

No - There is no excuse with the technology at our disposal to make the mistake of committing to a development that will have a detrimental and perhaps irreversible affect on the wildlife in the area proposed for the wind farm. A long term view needs to be taken and a thorough enquiry be made before such a development can take place. This has not been done. WHY? Mariella Norman

Yes - A move towards large-scale renewable energy generation is an essential aspect of efforts to tackle climate change by moving away from our reliance on fossil fuels with their associated carbon emissions. As a regular visitor to various locations across Scotland, I can say that I would not be put off from visiting by this or any other windfarm. Dr David Hubble

Yes - How can we possibly hope to meet carbon reduction commitments if every new move to harness renewables is met by nimbys. Either we take climate change seriously and lobby government to make serious moves to encourage development of renewables or we (and more epsecially our third world neighbours) suffer the consequences. Mark Boulton, International Centre for Conservation Education

No - This is not an argument about the pro’s and con’s of renewable energy in general. It is whether this windfarm is suitable to this site. Industrialising 6,000 acres of wild land, destroying the habitat of and endangering some of Britain’s rarest birds and animals whilst ruining the spectacular scenery that makes the Highlands famous is not only completely indefensible but is likely to do great economic damage to the tourism industry that keeps the area alive. The complete lack of respect shown to the local people by the developers is reprehensible. Jocelyn Seligman, Strathbran

Yes - Environmental reasons should come above all else in these matters. We need renewable energy and we need a lot of it. We are going to have to see a lot more of these around the country to fulfill our needs. Turbines are not ugly. They are tall, graceful and a fantastic opportunity. Think what it was like 150/200 years ago when there were thousands of windmills dotted around the country. People didn't complain because they provided a very necessary service, just as these windfarms do. Giles Gooding

No - It is encroaching on the last wilderness in the highlands. After this, one the next one and the next one, from Dingwall to Cape Wrath. Put them near Glasgow where they need them. Alastair Robertson, by Huntly

Yes - Can anyone genuinely still believe that Climate Change is a myth? How else can we begin to reverse the process but with innovative schemes such as this which appear to blend effortlessly into the landscape. Charlie McVeigh

No - As with many other priceless environmental areas being targeted by developers, this area is vulnerable in many ways – wildlife, especially endangered species, peat degradation, important tourist route threat – literally ‘costing the earth’ for very little return which could possibly affect climate change. Such developments are being exposed as cripplingly expensive for the consumer via the little understood or explained ROCS system. Yesterday’s technology being pushed simply because it is ‘available now’ but many are beginning to fully understand the true implications accompanying excessive implementation of this particular form of renewable energy. Christine Metcalfe

Yes - Renewable energy schemes like this in conjunction with energy saving initiatives are the way forward in the fight against global warming, and that the advantages far outweigh the visual impact on the landscape. As a frequent visitor to Scotland, I would prefer to see these than some of the grey utilitarian examples of housing and public buildings, which have been prevalent in the last few years. Fred

Yes - We are on the edge of an environmental precipice. Without initiatives such as the Lochluichart Windfarm, Scotland will be changed irrevocably by global warming. It is not just the wildlife that will be affected, but everyone that depends on the wildlife. Even aside from the wildlife being wiped out, climate change will alter every aspect of human life and behaviour. The fishing, farming, winter sports and insurance industries are feeling the first effects, but the total effects will be far more devastating. The Stern report warns of environmental and economic catastrophe. We need a hundred of these windfarms in Scotland. It is disgraceful that the scheme has been hobbled to half of its original potential. Alex Brodie

Yes - The proposal for a windfarm is progressive, and an essential part of managing climate change. Wind generation is sustainable and freely available. Certainly the lack of constancy of power generation can be countered by non-sustainable energy generation. But it can also be smoothed out by hydroelectric and other sustainable methods. Ignoring the inconvenient truth of climate change is not an option, and neither is bickering over the obvious. Derek Gould, Liverpool

Yes - The developers have compromised on a giant scale - now it’s the opposition’s turn to realise they have a part to play in the community and beyond by showing there support for his excellent proposal. The proposal is great for the area, Scotland and beyond giving a clear message that intelligence and practicality has won over knee jerk nimbyism. Support your local industry, people and common sense and vote YES to Lochluichart. Frequent visitor

Yes - Windfarms, nuclear power stations, solar panel arrays, and hydro-electric power stations are really the only proven sources of clean energy we have available to us today. If we don't develop and use these technologies the choice is very simple: we must either turn off the lights or boost our electricity output using coal-/gas-/oil- based powerplants that produce huge volumes of carbon. All of the clean energy technologies listed above are opposed by one group or another. Ornithologists and local communities object to windfarms, environmentalists and alarmists worry about nuclear power, fishermen detest hydro-electric dams; no single solution will appeal to everyone but our decisions have to reflect the severity of the global issues we face and the lack of alternatives. Aaron D'Este

Yes - The 22 wind turbines at the Lochluichart wind farm development, not only seem to offer a significant source of renewal energy to 37,000 homes but have clearly been handled with great aesthetic sensitivity. Being familiar with such turbine sites as those around Tarifa in Southern Spain, or even some of the smaller sites in Cornwall, where comparatively little effort or care seems to have been taken in consideration of the visual impact, I am quite amazed at the extraordinary sensitivity that has gone into ensuring that so much of the landscape around Lochuichart will maintain its natural charm. Rupert S-B

Yes - Because wind farms make energy in an environmentally friendly way - even aesthetically, they look impressive, are dwarfed by the scenery around them, and can ultimately be removed. Alex Gladstone

Yes - The Loch Luichart windfarm is an opportunity to exploit renewable energy with minimal impact on the landscape. It should be our responsibility to thoroughly explore and harness renewable energy where ever possible. As north sea gas reaches its conclusion, the UK will become more and more dependent on imported gas and fossil fuels from countries such as Russia, and as such will be more susceptible to the internal and international political situations of these countries. The windfarm at Loch Luichart will be visible for a relatively short stretch on the Ullapool road, and has the added advantage of being able to plug into the national grid, via the existing hydro-electric infrastructure, without the need for further pylons which would have a much more far reaching effect on the landscape. Fred Collin

No - I live at Lochluichart and am appalled at the lack of respect for the local community which has been shown by the lack of honest straightforward communication with regards to this development. Behind my house is the last remaining true wilderness of the UK - and all that goes with it. The development will have a dramatic effect on the wildlife here and begin eating away at our wilderness. I do not trust the developers not to continue development once they have a foot in the door, the pylons will inevitably be made bigger - why won't the developers invest in underground transportation? – and there are plenty of other areas where the impact would not be so great. The developers here are hiding behind "renewable energy" banner - this is a business. Pammy Johal

Yes - The revised scheme connects directly into the grid so no new transmission lines. Plus visual impact now significantly reduced. We need clean energy now more than ever. Jake Melville

Yes -I live in Ullapool but before that I lived in Scoraig and for more than 20 years had a wind turbine right by the house to generate my electricity. They are not noisy, and I think they are beautiful to look at. They are a constant reminder of how we can make the power we need with no carbon or radioactivity. Either we embrace this technology or we wreck the climate. How many floods, typhoons and droughts will it take to make us see the truth? NW Scotland has this great natural power resource which if sensibly used will provide everyone with an income and the world with clean electricity. As a hillwalker and lover of the natural beauty of the area I think we can have wind farms without losing all the views and I strongly support this wind farm. Topher Dawson, Ullapool

No - Wind energy while very clean is also very ineffective. It always requires the back up of conventional power sources, as when the wind doesn't blow or blows too strongly the turbines generate no electricity. They offer only a temporary and intermittent, short lived source of power. If we covered the entire landscape of the Highlands with turbines (and as of 2004 there were proposals in the Highlands to build 1700+) - we'd still have only short lived and intermittent power, but would have ruined not only a unique environment (to "save the environment" ?) we'd have wrecked Scotland's major growth industry on which much of the west coast economy totally depends. Ike Gibson, Ullapool

No - There is no need for windfarms since the current changes in climate are natural and normal, have happened before, and will happen again. Nuclear power is more efficient, and could be built underground. Am sure that a safe means for disposal of nuclear waste can be found. Furthermore, windfarms are not efficient, and the only good they do is in favour of those people who own the land, and those who manufacture the structures (foreign companies, I believe). Additionally, they are a blight on the landscape. Lionel Brough Martin, Forfar

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