15 Aug 2025
Calls for a halt to large-scale pylon and wind turbine projects in the Highlands have been welcomed by campaigners – and now pressure is growing for the Scottish Borders to follow suit.
Scottish Conservative MSP Russell Findlay has demanded a moratorium on new wind turbines and pylons after meeting with representatives from 53 rural community councils at a Highland summit last week. The meeting, established by Aird and Loch Ness councillor Helen Crawford, produced a unified statement urging the Scottish Government to pause the “barrage” of major renewable energy proposals currently on the table.
Highland residents voiced strong concerns about the industrialisation of the countryside, warning that “no financial compensation can ever replace what we stand to lose.” With more than 700 live planning applications for energy infrastructure in the region, they fear irreversible damage to landscapes, tourism, and rural communities.
Mr Findlay accused the SNP and Labour of “curtailing public opinion” on developments such as pylons, transformers and battery farms, saying rural voices are “all too often ignored” in Scotland’s planning system. He praised Cllr Crawford for convening the meeting and said his party would push for an urgent parliamentary debate.
The convention’s joint statement calls for all major applications to be paused until a clear national energy policy is published and an economic impact assessment is completed.
Mr Findlay warned that the current approach to energy transition risks “harming vast swathes of Scots” and urged the Scottish Government to publish its long-delayed energy strategy without further delay.
Campaigners in the Borders say the situation is strikingly similar in their region, where rural communities face a rapid build-up of energy infrastructure proposals. They argue that the Borders should align with the Highlands in calling for a temporary pause to protect landscapes, wildlife, and the visitor economy.
John Williams, chair of Heriot Community Council, said: “Across Scotland, communities are waking up to the reality that NPF4 is not a tool for balanced progress – it’s a bulldozer for top-down, unchecked development. In the name of so-called green energy, we are being asked to sacrifice our cherished landscapes, our wildlife, and our rural heritage – often for projects that deliver no real benefit to the people who live here.”
As political pressure builds, will Borders councillors and community groups seize this moment to create a powerful cross-regional demand for change?