Onshore wind energy

Our Approach

Scotland has one of the best wind resources in Western Europe, so the Scottish Government has identified wind energy as being very important to meeting the renewable energy generation required under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) .

As a result, the scale of renewable wind energy development is likely to be substantial over the next few years and this could bring about major changes to our landscapes and have significant impacts on Scotland's nature.

Some places in Scotland are more likely to be affected by wind energy developments than other places because of the nature of the landscape or the type of plants and animals living there. To help identify the most sensitive areas and steer developments towards places where the impacts may be less significant, we have produced Strategic Locational Guidance for Onshore Wind farms in respect of the natural Heritage . (Please note that we are currently reviewing and updating this guidance.)

The maps associated with the guidance can be downloaded below: