Dorenell Wind Farm on the Glenfiddich Estate will give local tourism a valuable boost and inject ongoing investment into the Moray economy, said Infinergy.

And it accused a survey by a local accommodation provider, Tomintoul and Glenlivet Highland Holidays marketing group – which claimed a large number of tourists would be deterred from visiting the area because of the wind farm – of lacking objectivity and claimed it should be discounted because it asked leading questions.

As part of the 59-turbine Dorenell project, Infinergy would include a number of measures designed to enhance local tourism. These are:

• Improved Glenfiddich Estate paths.
• Car parks for walkers.
• Employing wardens at Glenfiddich Estate.
• A staffed wind farm visitor centre.
• Encouraging links into the Cairngorms National Park, Aberdeenshire and Glenlivet Estate.

Infinergy said a survey commissioned by it showed that an overwhelming majority of local tourism operators and accommodation providers do not object to the development of Dorenell Wind Farm.

Access to walking routes on the Glenfiddich Estate will be improved so that they can be integrated into the Moray Core Paths Plan. Two full-time wardens will be appointed to maintain estate paths and fences and a series of way markers and information panels will be added to assist walkers and tourists.

A number of small, strategically-placed car parks, so that people of all ages and walking abilities can access the estate easily, are also planned.

The wind farm visitor centre would employ two assistants and aim to show tourists the sustainable benefits of wind energy and how a wind farm such as Dorenell works.

Mark van Rij, Dorenell Wind Farm project manager, said: "We have carried out extensive consultations with the community. We understand that tourism is a key element of the local economy and we want to be part of that.

"We feel that our plans to promote tourism on the Glenfiddich Estate will make a worthwhile contribution to the area's economy and they are in addition to the community fund that will make over £350,000 available each year to local community projects."

Of 51 business proprietors responding to an Infinergy survey, conducted between October 6 and 21, 16 were supportive of the development and a further 15 did not believe the wind farm will have an adverse effect on their businesses, while 12 were opposed to the proposal and the remainder had not heard of the project.

The findings, insists Mr Van Rij, undermine the claim that many of those involved in tourism are opposed to the wind farm.

He said research conducted by David Stewart Associates into the effects of wind farms on nearby tourism businesses in Cornwall, Cumbria and Anglesey concluded that people who wanted to visit or return to an area were not going to be affected by whether or not a wind farm was erected there. Cornwall and Cumbria have the largest concentration of wind farms in England, yet the numbers of visitors to these areas had increased since wind turbines were erected.

A leading market research expert has criticised the survey techniques employed by the Tomintoul and Glenlivet Highland Holidays marketing group who are opposed to the Dorenell Wind Farm.

Senior business development consultant Tony Harrison of Glasgow Caledonian University is the joint author of a report published by the Scottish Government in March 2008 that concluded wind farms have a minimal impact on Scottish tourism and that three-quarters of tourists surveyed believed that wind farms had a positive or neutral effect on the landscape.

"Fundamentally the Tomintoul and Glenlivet questionnaire is flawed," said Mr Harrison.

"It falls short of the guidelines prescribed by the Market Research Society about asking questions in a professional and neutral style. It is of limited value because it lacks objectivity and should be discounted because of its leading questions."

As well as providing a community fund for the 25-year life of the wind farm, Infinergy estimates that £65m will be injected into the local economy during the development phase of the wind farm.

Mr Van Rij added: "While there are specialist wind farm elements that local companies will not be able to assist with, it is Infinergy's intention to source goods and services from local businesses wherever possible.

"Hotels, restaurants, bars, cafés, shops and petrol stations will all benefit as well as contractors hired to help with the development itself."

c.saunderson@northern-scot.co.uk

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