Robert Maund, chairman of the charity Scottish Council for National Parks (SCNP), warned that if such schemes came to pass it would be a "dreadful act of vandalism for which future generations would never forgive us".

He was speaking while visiting the Moor area at the invitation of the Save Our Dava Campaign which is trying to preserve the area's wild beauty for ever.

Mr Maund's visit came with decisions by the Scottish Government on proposed schemes at Glen Kirk and Berryburn expected imminently and with five other local schemes at various stages in the planning process.

SCNP, which campaigns to promote the case for and cause of National Parks across Scotland, also seeks to protect other sensitive landscapes and habitats from unnecessary industrialisation.

Mr Maund said: "Dava Moor is a wild and beautiful landscape with wide horizons, huge skies and extensive views to the Cairngorms, the rolling hills to the east and west and open views to the north.

"The imposition of massive wind turbines into this landscape would not only do irreversible visual damage but would also threaten the diverse habitat which is the home or hunting grounds to many threatened bird species including raptors such as ospreys and eagles."

According to Mr Maund, construction and access work would also do irreversible harm to extensive blanket bog and the complex drainage of the area.

Many respected scientists consider that in terms of carbon retention, blanket bog is as important in preventing climate change as the tropical rain forests and for that reason alone, should not be disturbed for development.

He continued, " Government guidance on the location of wind energy projects lacks clarity and unfortunately is written in a manner which is all things to all men. As a result, the location of wind turbine schemes is still largely a developer-led scramble rather than a plan-led approach.

Robert Maund of the Scottish Council for National Parks has warned of 'vandalism' if Dava windfarms plans get the go-ahead.

"In my view, the only way to afford Dava the necessary protection would be to include it in an extension to the Cairngorms National Park as part of the current National Park Review.

"To allow wind farms in areas such as Dava would be a dreadful act of vandalism for which future generations would never forgive us."

Jeannie McIntyre Munro, co-ordinator of Save Our Dava, which has recorded 1,000 objections to the scheme over the past three years, said the fight would continue no matter what the Scottish Government decided.

She explained: "These schemes will devastate the landscape and ruin the views over Dava for ever. Some people don't realise how many wind turbines could go up and their impact.

"People in Scotland should be standing up to protect these places."

dennier_c@spp-group.com

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