The proposed 29 turbine Cloiche Wind Farm is located on the Glendoe and Garrogie Estates, adjacent to the operational Stronelairg Wind Farm and Glendoe Hydroelectric Scheme and approximately 11 kilometres (km) to the south-east of Fort Augustus in the Great Glen, in the Monadhliath mountain range.

It is anticipated that the wind farm will generate approximately 130.5MW.

On Monday 30th November 2023 the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit approved SSE Renewables Section 36 application for the wind farm.

A link to the application on the Scottish Government's website is here.

Cloiche at a glance

Number of consented turbines
Anticipated generation capacity
MW

Project history

A Section 36 application for Cloiche, consisting of up to 36 turbines with a tip height of up to 149.9 metres, was submitted to the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit in April 2020. The application was accompanied by a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and other supporting documents. The EIA documents can be viewed below.

Following consultation on the EIA report and objections raised by The Highland Council and NatureScot as Statutory Consultees, and other Non-Statutory Consultees, an Additional Information report was submitted to the Scottish Ministers. The Additional Information submission included information relating to the removal of 7 turbines and associated infrastructure from the proposed development, thus creating a 29 Turbine Proposed Development.

The public notice for this Additional Information submission can be viewed by clicking here.

The Additional Information assessed any changes (or lack thereof) in the significance of effects between the 36 turbine proposed development (as assessed in the original EIA Report) and the 29 Turbine Proposed Development.

It is anticipated that the revised 29 Turbine Proposed Development will generate approximately 125 megawatts (MW). The full original EIA report, supporting application documents and the Additional Information submission can be found on this webpage, via the links below, or on the Scottish Governments Energy Consent Unit's website here, using application reference number ECU00002054.

On Monday 30th November 2023 the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit approved SSE Renewables Section 36 application for the wind farm.

A link to the application on the Scottish Government's website is here.

Additional Information (July 2022)

EIA Documents (April 2020)

Benefits of the Proposal

SSE Renewables has recently published the document “Generating Benefits in the Great Glen”.  This outlines that clean, renewable electricity generation, projects in the Great Glen in the north of Scotland – Stronelairg wind farm, Bhlaraidh wind farm, Dunmaglass wind farm and Glendoe hydro station – have delivered significant investment and good quality jobs in the local area and across Scotland and the UK. This report shows the economic contribution of these projects through their development, construction, operations and maintenance, with analysis undertaken by BiGGAR Economics. It also tells the story of wider socio-economic benefits of the projects, including a number of case studies showing the positive impacts on the people and business from activities in the local area. The illustration below provides an outline of the economic benefit of these projects to the Great Glen.  The report can be read and downloaded on our News and Views page.

Contact us

If you have any queries or wish to speak with the project team, please contact:

Eilidh Edgar, Stakeholder Engagement Manager

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 07879992917