About Cairn Duhie Wind Farm
Cairn Duhie Wind Farm is located to the south-east of Ferness village, in Nairnshire, approximately 15km south-east of Nairn and 13.5km north/north-west of Grantown-on-Spey. The site was chosen because it lies in an area identified as having ‘potential for wind farm development’ within Highland Council’s Spatial Framework policy – and has good wind speeds for energy generation, no international or national nature designations, and straight-forward access directly from the A939.
The original project was consented in October 2017 by the Scottish Government (but not constructed) and comprised a 20-turbine scheme with tip heights of 110m.
Revising the design
In March 2023, RES submitted a Section 36 application for consent to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit for a revised 16-turbine wind farm proposal at Cairn Duhie. The decision to revise the design was driven by the need to optimise the site with modern turbines (with tip heights of up to 149.9m) and ensure that Cairn Duhie operated as efficiently as possible - contributing the maximum that it could towards the Scottish Government’s 2030 net zero carbon emissions target.
In February 2022, The Highland Council objected to the application under delegated powers, triggering a public inquiry which took place in December 2022 and January 2023. In February 2024, after receiving the public inquiry report which recommended granting consent, Scottish Ministers approved the scheme. To view the planning application documentation and subsequent consent, please visit the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit (ECU) website here.
Benefits of the revised scheme
The project is predicted to deliver around £4.4 million of inward investment to the local area in the form of jobs, employment, and use of local services during construction and the first year of operation. In addition, the project would deliver around £21 million in business rates to The Highland Council over its 30-year operational lifecycle.
RES will also work with the community to deliver a tailored community benefit package to support the communities who host, and are closest to, the project. This tailored approach ensures that the community benefit package is aligned with the priorities of the local community and means that it could provide funding for projects that sit outside the parameters of a traditional application-based fund. It will also prioritise RES’ Local Electricity Discount Scheme (LEDS), for residents living closest to the proposal, as this was the preferred opportunity highlighted in pre-application consultation.
Furthermore, at a Highland-wide level, RES recently announced a new collaboration with UHI to support their Student Development Fund. The fund will empower a minimum of 60 students of UHI to further their personal development by providing financial support to overcome barriers to participate in learning opportunities and extra-curricular activities. For more information, please click here.
New onshore wind projects are the cheapest form of electricity generation alongside other renewable energy technologies and Cairn Duhie will be capable of generating clean, low-cost renewable electricity for around 57,000 homes.
Onshore wind farms are also quick to build (12-24 months), increase energy security by reducing reliance on imports and aren’t subject to the sudden price fluctuations or uncertainty of global markets. With the current cost of living crisis and climate change emergency, projects like Cairn Duhie are crucial to help support the transition to a net zero future.
Next steps
Over the next few months, we will review the planning conditions and start to consider the timescales for construction. Once we have further information we will write out to local residents and Community Councils and update this website. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.