An impression of how the Glenmorie windfarm would look from Carn Chuinneag, a corbett within the Fannichs, Beinn Dearg and Glencalvie Special Landscape Area.

A leading conservation charity has objected to plans to build a windfarm on a Highland site.

The John Muir Trust said the Glenmorie development is just 150m from an area identified by Scottish Natural Heritage as a ‘search area’ for wild land.

Beyond the immediate area on the Kildermorie and Glencalvie estates, west of Ardgay in Sutherland, views from Ben Wyvis, the Fannichs and Beinn Dearg, and from the Dornoch Firth, including around Skibo Castle, would be affected.

Steven Turnbull, policy officer for the John Muir Trust, said: “The impacts of the windfarm on the landscape would be significant and completely inappropriate for an area of wild land.

“Even though the applicant has acknowledged these impacts, they’ve offered little evidence to support their decision to proceed regardless.

“Due to time constraints, we’ve been unable to fully assess the proposal in relation to the impact on blanket bogs and peat land, which are key carbon stores and highly susceptible to damage from inappropriate development.”

The developers want to build 43 turbines on the site.

Figures published by SNH indicate that the amount of Scotland visually unaffected by built development had decreased from 41 per cent in 2002 to 28 per cent by 2009, primarily as a result of the construction of windfarms and their associated infrastructure.

The John Muir Trust said the Glenmorie proposal would further erode the remaining resource and could set a precedent for further similar developments in the area.