A Perthshire farmer-turned-YouTuber is rallying opposition to plans for an enormous solar farm on his doorstep.
Crawford Niven, whose family work the land around their Gloagburn farm shop, says Tibbermore is the wrong place for the solar panels.
He posted a video on his popular Crawford’s Farm YouTube channel this week urging people to object to the development.
The short film is being shared widely on social media.
It has had more than 41,000 views in two days.
In it, Crawford points to the solar energy application site at Kinnon Park Farm, which neighbours Gloagburn, to the west of Perth.
He tells viewers the proposed solar farm would stretch to 80 hectares.
That’s the size of 100 football fields.
And the panels could be in place for 40 years.
Crawford, who has almost 32,000 YouTube subscribers, says an area that size could supply 25,000 tonnes of grain over that time period, providing jobs and supporting sectors like the whisky industry.
“I’m not against solar panels… but not on prime agricultural land,” he says in the video.
“We can get it on roofs, we can get it on top of infrastructure that’s already there. We can get it on derelict ground.
“There’s 11,000 hectares of derelict ground in Scotland that would be much more suited,” Crawford adds.
“But taking prime agricultural land out of production is ridiculous.”
Gloagburn neighbours share concerns about solar farm scheme
The solar farm application has received 153 objections, and just one comment in favour.
The plans are available to view on the Perth and Kinross Council website.
Comments have to be lodged by the end of this week.
The company behind the scheme, NS Solar Kinnon Park, says it could provide enough energy to power 25,000 homes.
Neighbours in nearby Tibbermore have formed an action group to oppose the solar scheme and a second, unrelated proposal for a battery storage farm nearby.
Speaking to The Courier, Crawford made it clear his beef is with the developer, not the farmer who owns the land.
“An opportunity has arisen for them and many others would do the same in that position,” he said.
“It’s more the point that there should be blocks in place protecting prime, food-producing land from being converted to non-food producing.
“Either that or food production needs to be more viable to avoid these routes being taken by landowners.”
Gloagburn has become a model for diversification in recent years.
Its farm shop and restaurant has a four-star rating from VisitScotland.
And its seasonal attractions, such as its sunflower trail and pumpkin patch, have drawn huge crowds.
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