Councillors have objected to plans for a large battery storage site near a castle saved from ruin by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
Developer Simec Atlantis Energy (SAE) has proposed installing more than 300 batteries on a 25-acre site two miles from Castle of Mey, near Thurso in Caithness.
The Queen Mother first saw what was then known as Barrogill Castle in 1952, while mourning the death of her husband, King George VI.
She had the property restored in the 1950s and spent holidays there until October 2001. King Charles, her grandson, has been a frequent visitor to the castle over the years.
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother pictured outside the castle – Bettmann
Highland councillors have objected to the battery storage plan, citing the impact to the castle and local tourism, including the North Coast 500 route around the north of the Scotland.
But council officers have warned that the objection may not hold up when scrutinised by Scottish ministers. The Scottish Government’s energy consents unit will make a final decision on the proposal.
The battery energy storage system would be one of the highest capacity battery sites in Scotland, holding around 352 units.
The system stores excess energy generated by wind farms and release it back to the National Grid at periods of high demand. SAE has said its 300MW scheme would have a minimal impact and would help in the provision of energy security.
A Simec Atlantis Energy (SAE) battery storage unit – SAE
Speaking during a debate on the proposal, councillor Matthew Reiss said the scheme would be “right on the doorstep” of the castle and other tourist attractions.
But council planner Dafydd Jones said the site would be only 3m (9.8ft) and “not particularly prominent or visible” except on the immediately adjacent road.
Andy Hayton, a Mey resident, said the proposal was an “industrial eyesore” that would “brutalise the tranquil and historic landscape of Mey”.
An artist’s impression of how the battery storage site would look from an oncoming road – Simon Waddell/SAE
He raised his concerns over the environmental impacts of the site and called SAE’s plan to plant trees to mitigate the site impact “insulting”.
The King spends more than a week at the castle every summer and has made alterations to the gardens established by his grandmother, who died aged 101 in 2002.
Alan Titchmarsh, the TV gardener who knew the Queen Mother well, has also donated a large collection of roses in the Shell Garden. Mr Titchmarsh is an honorary patron of the castle’s friends’ organisation.
