Highland village fights back against massive energy project takeover

In the heart of Scottish Highlands a peaceful village with french roots (its name means beautiful place) faces big changes. The small community of Beauly near Loch Ness dont want their home turned into an industrial site

Simon Fraser‚ the current Lord Lovat allows Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks to build a super-sized substation on his land — a project that will take up space equal to 35 football fields. His estate which got attention in tax-papers scandal about 7 years ago now supports green-energy projects

The area already sees lots of work going on:

• German company wants to put up 36 wind-towers nearby
• A huge hydro project worth 3 billion pounds might affect the loch
• Lord Lovats own battery storage facility plans
• New power lines coming from the north

We have been living in fear. This latest substation will have a footprint the size of Glasgow airport. What theyʼre doing is heart-wrenching; it is a feeling of colonisation

The quiet village life changed fast — now locals see trucks; helicopters and drones all day long. Many people worry about their homes and land because energy firms can force-buy property if they say its needed. One business-owner starts work at 5am to avoid the noise and chaos that starts by 8am

Highland Council gets too many green-energy requests to handle properly; but locals fight back. A shinty team said no to money from SSE‚ and about 50 landowners plan to use legal ways to protect their property. The community group called Communities B4 Power Companies wants officials to look closer at these plans

Lyndsey Ward who moved here in 07 leads the fight: “These landowners wont give up their land easy; we dont want new Highland Clearances. Our roads are full of navy and green SSE trucks‚ and we see industrial marks everywhere“

SSEN says they need this spot for their network plans but locals think its too much change too fast for their highland paradise