NEWS
Revealed: more evidence of 'shameful slaughter' of birds by wind turbine blades
Press release from Save Glen Lednock – not for publication until Friday 28 August
REVEALED: MORE EVIDENCE OF ‘SHAMEFUL SLAUGHTER’ OF BIRDS BY WIND TURBINE BLADES
On the eve of a regional convention [1] bringing together communities fighting wind farm proposals across Perth & Kinross, the Save Glen Lednock campaign [2] has revealed that Scotland’s nature agency has submitted a further objection to the proposed Glen Lednock Wind Farm.
In its 4th June 2026 submission to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Units [3], NatureScot objected to the wind farm’s significant effect on protected red kites, for which the area is a vital habitat. The objection notes that red kites are particularly susceptible to collisions with wind turbines, and warns that, with the proposed wind farm being only four miles from the most important roosting site in Scotland, the development would result in the deaths of birds that could affect the red kite population at a national level.
NatureScot’s letter also highlights significant effects on both golden eagles and white-tailed eagles. The agency concludes its three-page letter:
‘The ornithological survey work and assessment is flawed and, in our view, represents an underestimation of the effects on birds from those described above.
With the highest collision risk ever predicted by a wind farm in Scotland on red kite [4] and significant effects on golden eagle and white-tailed eagle at a regional scale this proposal would have a disproportionally high impact on birds.’
Martin Downing of Save Glen Lednock commented:
‘This latest objection by NatureScot makes it crystal clear that the wind farm would bring a shameful slaughter of birds of prey. The developer’s own studies predict that 141 red kites and 23 golden eagles could be killed over the life of the wind farm, yet they continue to state that this slaughter would have no significant effect. And the impact of one wind farm cannot be treated in isolation – there are nine new wind farm proposals across Perth & Kinross [5], not to mention the associated overhead lines that would criss-cross the habitats of these iconic birds. It is striking that both NatureScot and the RSPB have raised serious concerns about, firstly the predicted cumulative impacts of proposed wind farms on birds of prey in Perthshire and, secondly, the inadequacies of the developers’ assessments of those hugely negative impacts.
‘The Perth & Kinross Community Councils’ convention on 29th August is therefore a great opportunity to highlight the scale of the impacts from these threatened developments across the area, allowing us to enhance our cross-community campaigning and to present a united front to wind farm developers and the Scottish Government.’
MORE INFO: Martin Downing on 07909-964456
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
[1] The convention will take place at Fowlis Wester Village Hall, east of Crieff, from 2-4pm on Saturday 29th August, attended by Community Councils, campaigning groups and the media.
[2] Web site: Save Glen Lednock
[3] The 24 June 2026 letter from NatureScot to the Energy Consents Unit is attached. Its original objection was submitted on 1 September 2025.
[4] Photo of Red Kite below.
[5] The nine new wind farm proposals in the planning pipeline comprise 118 turbines across Perth & Kinross, totalling 354 moving blades which would endanger birdlife.
