Inverness Gull Summit ‘concern’; plus Highland rail woes and weather-proofing energy
Energy structure must be storm proofed
Storm Amy, hot on the heels of genteel sounding Floris, has exposed a dangerous truth: Scotland’s electricity distribution infrastructure is not fit for purpose — and current policy decisions are putting lives at risk.
Thousands across the Highlands were left without power, cut off from heat, water and communication. In a country pushing mandatory electrification of transport and heating this is not just a failure of resilience — it is a failure of leadership.
Many rural homes rely on private water supplies powered by electric pumps. When the grid fails, so does access to drinking water. With petrol and diesel vehicles to be replaced with EVs and wood-burning stoves — often the only backup heat source — under threat, residents face freezing homes, no way to cook food, no transport, and no way to reach help.
The phasing out of landlines has made matters worse. When mobile masts go down remote and rural communities are left unable to call emergency services. This is not theoretical. It happened – and it will happen again.
Meanwhile, SSEN’s controversial overhead transmission line proposals are being pushed forward despite warnings of more frequent and increasingly extreme weather events.
We’ve already seen some consequences. Storm Isha (January 2024), Storm Kathleen (April 2024), Storm Floris (August 2025) and now Storm Amy - four major storms in under two years, two of them unseasonal, all of them disruptive. Floris struck in high summer, when trees were in full leaf and far more vulnerable to high winds, just like Amy. Both arrived with fury — snapping poles, toppling trees, and plunging tens of thousands into darkness.
To propose even more overhead infrastructure is not just short-sighted, it is dangerously wrong-headed. It’s time to go back to the drawing board.
Policy makers should be demanding:
1. A full audit of distribution grid resilience in rural Scotland.
2. Evidence of need for Scotland for major transmission upgrades — and if proven, a commitment to an offshore grid that protects communities and workers.
3. A moratorium on overhead transmission expansion until safety and climate resilience are proven.
4. Protection of non-electric emergency assets like wood burners and fuel-based vehicles.
5. A halt to telephone landline removal until mobile networks are storm-proof.
SSEN’s proposals endanger communities and workers alike. If these massive transmission lines go down in future storms the consequences will be catastrophic.
Scotland cannot afford to blindly electrify our lives. Climate policy must be matched by infrastructure reality. If we continue down this path, people will die — not from the climate changing but from the failure to adapt to and prepare for it.
Lyndsey Ward
Communities B4 power Companies
Seagull Summit should have been more open
I read your recent coverage (September 24) of the Gull Summit held in Inverness with interest and concern.
As a local councillor for Inverness and Highland Older People's Champion, I was disenchanted not to have been invited to participate in what was described as a “constructive forum”, particularly given the direct impact this issue has on the communities I represent.
Urban gulls are not just a nuisance; they pose real challenges to health, safety, and wellbeing. Many older residents have shared with me their anxiety about walking through the city centre due to aggressive gull behaviour. Some now avoid public spaces altogether, which has serious consequences for their mental health and social inclusion.
In my own case, the sash windows of my home have been repeatedly damaged by gulls over the past two years, requiring costly repairs and the installation of deterrent spikes. This is a common experience among residents living in older buildings across Inverness.
The summit’s reported suggestions, such as waving arms or drawing eyes on takeaway boxes, risk trivialising a serious issue.
What our communities need are practical, evidence-based solutions developed in partnership with local authorities, residents, and businesses. That requires transparency, inclusion and meaningful engagement, not closed-door meetings and superficial advice.
I urge NatureScot and the Scottish Government to ensure future discussions are open to those living with the consequences of this issue, especially our older population. Their voices must be heard.
Councillor Isabelle MacKenzie
Inverness Millburn Ward
Highland Older People's Champion
Calls for Highland rail upgrade
Highland MSP for the Scottish Greens, Ariane Burgess, demanded the dualling of the Highland Main Line during a Holyrood debate, comparing “billions being spent on dualling the A9 and the neglect of the parallel rail line, which could be upgraded at a fraction of the cost.”
“Oh climate, climate, climate. We could run everything from steam and coal power and it wouldn't make any difference to world emissions when you have the likes of China that possess the largest coal powered capacity in the world. But yet it’s your wood burning stove or your train to town that’s gonna cause the world to end.” - Kieran Buchan
“Kieran Buchan, I don’t know your source of information but within the next 5-10 years China will produce so much green energy that it could power the entirety of the USA. They have taken all the money they’ve made and turned China green. They’ve literally turned Laos into one hydropower battery of Asia.” - Christopher Robin
“A Cumbrian friend who recently travelled north was struck dumb by her train journey to Inverness. Very old loud carriages, uncomfortable dirty seats, no refreshments, nowhere for the tourists to put their huge cases. Horrible toilets. I had to agree and I travel regularly north on the train and have done all my adult life. This summer has been horrendous. Her Cumbrian trains are modern, clean, with good toilets.” - Rosemary Murray
Letters should be submitted to newsdesk@hnmedia.co.uk. Please include your address and a daytime contact number. You can also tweet us: @InvCourier or leave a comment on Facebook @invernesscourier