Golden eagles face ‘unacceptable risk’ from wind turbine plans, charity says
Restoring Upland Nature is urging councillors to reject plans for a wind farm in the Scottish Borders.
Golden eagles in the south of Scotland face an “unacceptable risk” from a proposed wind farm, a charity has claimed.
Restoring Upland Nature (RUN) is urging a Scottish Borders Council committee to reject plans for the Scawd Law wind farm near Walkerburn.
Developer Fred Olsen Renewables wants to construct eight turbines up to 180m tall at the site which would have a 60MW generation capacity.
RUN, which runs the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, says there is a risk of collisions for the rare birds of prey.
Dr Cat Barlow, chief executive officer of RUN, said: “While we strongly support the role of well-sited renewable energy in tackling the climate crisis and safeguarding nature in the long-term, our detailed analysis evidences that Scawd Law in the Moorfoot Hills is the wrong location for a wind farm development.
“Using data from our state-of-the-art satellite monitoring, alongside extensive field observations by our experienced staff, we have significant concerns that the proposal would pose an unacceptable risk to the fragile local golden eagle population at a particularly critical time.
“Some of the data currently relied upon by the developer is outdated and substantially underestimates golden eagle activity in the area.”
She continued: “Our analysis indicates that the risk of collision at Scawd Law is at least six times greater than the figures presented by the developer.
“This risk will increase further as fledglings enter the landscape.
“Indeed, the likelihood of an eagle being killed at this site alone exceeds the collision risk posed by all existing wind farms across the south of Scotland combined.”
Mike Wilcox, of Walkerburn Community Council, also voiced opposition to the plans.
He said: “This is the last chance to save our majestic golden eagles.
“There has been a massive, concerted effort over many years by conservation experts and volunteers from all over Scotland to reintroduce this iconic species to the south of Scotland.
“The local community has been very excited to see these incredible birds in our skies again after an absence of perhaps 100 years.
“Going ahead with Scawd Law could potentially wipe out all the progress made in the past decade – Scottish Borders Council should reject this destructive scheme.”
The council’s planning committee will review the application on March 2.
In 2024, an investigation concluded that a golden eagle called Sparky had died after a wind turbine strike in Dumfries and Galloway.
The death of the locally-fledged bird was the first of its kind recorded by the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project.
A spokesman for Fred Olsen renewables said: “As a dedicated owner and operator of wind farms in the south of Scotland of 30 years, we take ornithological risks very seriously when determining the locations of our renewable energy sites.
“We have thoroughly reviewed the concerns raised by Restoring Upland Nature regarding our Scawd Law proposal.
“Our comprehensive assessments, complemented by expert analysis from external specialists, demonstrate that all predicted impacts and associated risks have been carefully evaluated and fall within acceptable parameters.
“While interpretations of data may vary, our in-depth understanding of the site, environmental conditions, and proven methodologies gives us confidence in the robustness of our approach.
“We are committed to maintaining open, constructive dialogue with all stakeholders to ensure transparency and trust.”
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