Highland residents fear being 'totally surrounded' if wind farms approved

An Easter Ross community council has spoken of its fears over the future for its local area if two major wind farms are approved.

Ceislein and Creachan Wind Farms are the latest in a number of projects proposed to be built near the village of Ardross.

Energy giant RWE Renewables is the firm behind both projects, with Creachan’s planning application already submitted to the Energy Consents Unit (ECU) and Ceislein due to be submitted to the platform in mid-March.

David Bentley from Ardross Community Council explained they are not against renewable energy but has warned that if all the plans are approved, the cumulative impact will result in the area being “totally surrounded”.

He added: “It’s all adding one straw at a time to the camel’s back.

“There will not be any community in Scotland that is affected as much as us.”

Ardross and its neighbouring communities are already dealing with road closures and disruptions as construction of previously approved projects gets under way.

As Mr Bentley explains, “you can be sitting in traffic for 30-40 minutes, even an hour or in some cases stuck in your home, due to road closures”.

The strain on the area’s roads was his main concern regarding Creachan Wind Farm’s application, calling the site’s access plan “ridiculous”.

Although Ceislein Wind Farm’s official application is yet to be submitted, the project has already received strong objection from residents.

The controversial 11-turbine wind farm is proposed for a site situated 20km north-east of Dingwall, near the historic Fyrish monument outside Evanton.

The development, which originally consisted of 20 turbines, was adjusted in May 2025 to just three of 200 metres to the blade tip and a further eight up to 250 metres, following feedback from the public and statutory consultees.

Plans also include a battery energy storage system (BESS).

Mr Bentley says the emotive nature of the monument’s location will result in a “straight no” from some residents.

“Over my dead body”, was one phrase offered among some of the responses, he said.

As part of its project development, RWE has hosted consultations with Ardross Community Council but David said they did not leave feeling reassured that their concerns had been listened to.

In response, RWE Renewables have said it takes community consultations “very seriously”.

It added that “extensive” pre-application consultations were carried out and feedback from the community has been reflected in the final application, and that if both wind farms are consented to it would bring “significant investment” to the area.

The community council has had to reach into its own pocket in order to pay a planning expert to fight in their corner.

Mr Bentley added: “They (RWE) have got all the money, they’ve got all the expertise, we’re just community people.”