What really gets me is that people have put their brains away in the loft and just go through the motion. Years of effective propaganda by a large sway of the media has meant that now if you mention wind farms to townies they just go all weak at the knees and start babbling on about climate change, and aren’t they majestic, and we mustn’t listen to nymbies and then they’re off to a skying holiday in Colorado….

It’d be interesting to do a FOA request as to the location of our dear MSPs Xmas holidays, wouldn’t it… I’ve heard lots of folks say it’s nice to have wind farms on our hills so that they can fly off on their exotic locations with a safe conscience…

For my part, I’ve stopped giving money to the likes of WWF and Friends of the Earth for a long time.

To be honest, I can’t bear the thought of emigrating. There’s no place that would feel remotely like home. But every application that goes through is a stab through the heart and I’m not sure how much more I can take!

I thought Torridon was safe and in fact I’ve spent three absolutely fantastic holidays with the wife there this year. I haven’t been abroad in ages, actually. But now, at the very least, I’m seriously thinking of spending my holidays abroad rather than here. By 2010 there will be so many more turbines on the hills, Lochelbank quite near my home, Griffin, and now Lochluichart. Why should I stick with a place intent on self-destruction?

And the thing is that they’ll need another 2/3,000 to meet their crazy, completely nominal target.

Yes, I should stay and fight, but it seems to me that they have won not the argument properly speaking but the propaganda battle. Apart from dedicated hill walkers, most people I talk to say windfarms are great and that they are needed to combat climate change. But folks still haven’t realised what the land will look like in just a couple of years’ time. And with the ROC renewed until 2037, it looks as if I won’t even have the satisfaction of seeing the turbines being taken down before it’s time for me to kick the bucket…

Finally, I resent talk of ‘community benefits’. The money for the wind farm community funds come from subsidies paid for by all taxpayers and more importantly it’s paid through our utility bills. In fact, subsidising wind is the principal cause of fuel poverty. So the community benefits Mr Mather cited in the press release are better called bribes, they are paid for by fuel poverty and they also engender a culture of dependency instead of encouraging the rather wonderful entrepeunerial spirit you highlighted so nicely in your Sutherland programme. It’s such a pity, because in recent years the Highlands appeared to be on the road to recovery with land buyout, re-discovery of local produce and the like.

Sorry for the long rant and thanks for listening!

I’ve said it before, after other crucial approvals (Braes of Doune, Farr, Drumderg, Griffin Forest) but this time it’s really the end of the Highlands as we know them.

They’re now encroaching towards Torridon, and apart from the environmental damage at the site itself, the views from the Torridon and Achnschellach Munros, indeed, I suspect from Fisherfield too, will soon be spoilt forever.

I’m surprised you haven’t been saying anything about this, but perhaps you’re as bitter as I am. Not to get into the politics of it, I think the SNP have been a huge disappointment. Their self-imposed, completely senseless 50% target will destroy what used to be the most beautiful country in the world.

2009 couldn’t start on a more somber note.

Sorry to paint things in such dark colours, but I feel like emigrating right now…

Re gear - I used an MSR Hubba tent, had a little meths coke-can stove, a lightweight Therma-rest and a Golite sleeping bag, although I’m afraid I can’t remember the model. Wore Golite Paclite waterproof trousers and a GoLite Phantom waterproof jacket. That’s it really - not really into gear too much, as long as it’s lightweight and works.

Thanks

John