TV presenter Cameron McNeish urges energy firm to look elsewhere with Ardverikie hydro dam plans
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One of Scotland's most prominent outdoors voices has spoken out against plans for a major new hydro dam on Ardverikie Estate.
Broadcaster and author Cameron McNeish, who lives in Newtonmore, has told Cumbria-based Gilkes Energy that they should like elsewhere rather than flooding the Lochan na h-Earba area.
Mr McNeish said: "What this proposal highlights is the vital importance of getting the balance right between developing green energy sources, wind farms and hydro power in particular, and protecting those areas of Scotland that are beneficial to the Scottish public in terms of recreation and mental wellbeing, the importance of which was underlined during and immediately after the Covid 19 restrictions.
"I would argue that this area of Ardverikie, just below three popular Munros, on a popular mountain biking route, and part of the East Highland Way should be fully protected from such development.
"It will be very difficult for the developer to avoid significant adverse effects on the scenic quality of this area by ‘siting, design or other mitigation.’
"NatureScot believes wildness depends on the presence of four physical attributes, each of which can be captured and mapped: perceived naturalness of the land cover, the ruggedness of terrain, remoteness from public roads, ferries or railway stations and a visible lack of buildings, roads, pylons and other modern artefacts.
"The Lochan na h-Earba area boasts all of these attributes and should be sufficient to tell Gilkes Energy they should look elsewhere."
But he also sounded a note of caution: "I suspect that the Lochan na h-Earba proposal will get a similar easy ride from planners as happened at the hydro dam on the nearby River Pattack – also by Gilkes Energy – because of the Scottish Government’s desire for green energy sources and hydro storage."
As well as the dams, a powerhouse would be constructed on the south shore of Lochan na h’Earba, with a surface building cut into the hillside and an underground tunnel constructed between the two reservoirs.
When electricity demand is low, water will be pumped from the lower reservoir through the tunnel to the upper reservoir, where it will be stored until it is released during times of peak demand. When the water is released, it will flow through turbines and a motor in the powerhouse, generating electricity.
The John Muir Trust, consulted on the scoping stage, is also concerned about the proposals.
A spokesperson for the charity said: "We met a representative from Gilkes and a consultant responsible for overseeing the application process at the shores of Lochan na h’Earba to discuss the project and to see the proposed site in person.
"From our discussions, the policy team were left with the impression that both Gilkes and Ardverikie Estate were making efforts to ensure that the project is sensitively designed to mitigate the impacts.
"However, a number of issues continue to concern us."
These include drawdown scars which are bare areas around the shores of reservoirs created by the constant rising and lowering of the water level which prevents anything from growing.
The spokesperson said: "The drawdown scars will be particularly significant at Loch a’Bhealaich Leamhain (the upper reservoir) where the level of the loch will be raised by up to 65m and the gradual slope of the loch’s southern shore means that the drawdown scar will cover a large area.
Gilkes has said that it intends to mitigate the drawdown scars as far as practicable, however, it is not possible to fully mitigate the impacts so they are an inevitable consequence of this type of proposal.
The project would entail a significant length of new access track along the length of Lochan na h’Earba and up the slope to Loch a’Bhealaich Leamhain. These tracks may be up to six metres wide to enable two-way construction traffic to pass.
The spokesperson said: "It is likely that these access tracks will be proposed as permanent aspects of the project as they will be needed to enable access for site maintenance. Such tracks are likely to change the character of the area entirely."
In addition, during construction, there would be construction compounds and borrow pits, where stone has been excavated on site."
The charity is also concerned about the impact on the wildness of the area: "We were lucky enough to have timed our visit with a spectacularly bright and crisp day which provided views across some of the surrounding Wild Land Areas."
The trust now intends to communicate its concerns to the contractor, the landowner and the Highland Council at this early stage and 'will continue to closely monitor the project as more information becomes available'.
They are encouraging anyone with a view on the proposals to respond to the planning application, if and when it proceeds.
