A leading conservation charity has raised formal objections to the proposed Scawd Law Wind Farm in the Scottish Borders, warning of ‘high risk’ to golden eagles.
Restoring Upland Nature (RUN), formerly the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, has supported renewable energy in principle, but says the Moorfoot Hills site is ‘not the right place’ for turbines.
The charity, responsible for tripling the local eagle population since 2018, said habitat loss and collision risk are significantly underestimated in developers’ current assessments. Dr Cat Barlow, RUN CEO, said: “Though we believe sustainable energy is key to addressing the climate crisis we do not believe Scawd Law in the Moorfoot Hills is the right place for a wind farm development.”
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RUN said the site lies within four golden eagle territories, including one of the first settled breeding pairs in the project’s history. Their analysis using satellite tags shows eagle activity in the area has surged by 238%, evidence not accounted for in the developer’s Additional Information Report, which only includes data up to early 2024. Dr Barlow added: “Breeding territories must remain undisturbed for long-term population sustainability. The expansion of wind farms without rigorous, up-to-date environmental data risks pushing these birds out of the very landscapes they need to survive.”
RUN is now urging developers to conduct an urgent cumulative impact assessment. Last year, a local eagle named Sparky died after colliding with a turbine in Dumfries and Galloway.
“We are supportive of renewable energy developments in the right place,” said Dr Barlow. “But the most up-to-date insights must be used to ensure wildlife and renewable energy can thrive together.”
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