Schiehallion - Its view could be affected by the power lines. Photo by Dr Richard Murray

New power lines to cut through the Cairngorms

By LFTO News Team

Outdoor headlines

07 January 2010 14:08

Outdoor groups are fuming at a decision by the Scottish Parliament to permit an overhead power line being built straight down the centre of Scotland.

The line will run from Beauly, near Inverness, to Denny, near Falkirk, and will be visible from many mountains in the Highlands.

The pylons will be up to 200ft high and will transmit renewable energy south from the Highlands.

But groups such as the Mountaineering Council of Scotland and The John Muir Trust are furious.

Helen McDaid, from the John Muir Trust, says: "The erection of hundreds of mega pylons down Scotland’s central spine will forever disfigure some of the landscapes that define Scotland and its people.

"It is particularly galling that this white elephant is being given the go-ahead in a week when the UK government will announce another generation of offshore wind farms."

But ministers say the scheme's vital to unlock Scotland's renewable energy potential.

So is it a necessary or unnecessary evil?

Tell us what you think here