Golf fans arriving at Gleaneagles for this year’s Ryder Cup will be “shocked and appalled” by the number of windfarms an MEP has claimed.
Local campaigners say the increase in turbines in the area has ruined views around the famous location. The latest development in the saga will see six turbines erected on the Ochil Hills near the venue.
This was despite objections from the resort that the development would have an adverse impact on business ahead of the Ryder Cup.
There are now more than 150 turbines within a 20-mile radius of the course, with more planned.
MEP Struan Stevenson said: “Tourists coming for the Ryder Cup will be shocked and appalled when they see how the landscape has been vandalised by windfarms.
“The Scottish Government’s obsession with windfarms has desecrated views from Gleneagles. Golf generates hundreds of millions of pounds in tourism revenue annually, and it is beyond comprehension how the SNP Government can put this at risk.”
Joss Blamire, senior policy manager for Scottish Renewables, said there is no evidence that windfarms have a significant impact on Scottish tourism figures.
He said: “A poll last year found 69% of respondents said their decision to visit an area of Scotland would not be affected by the presence of a windfarm.”
A government spokesperson said: “The Ryder Cup is a huge sporting event which will put Scotland in the global spotlight. There is no evidence to support these claims.”