Erasing history: Historians ‘appalled and angry’ over likely damage to irreplaceable heritage sites from Spittal to Beauly super pylon line
The proposed super pylon line from Spittal to Beauly will cause incalculable damage to countless heritage sites along the 106-mile route, according to a campaign group.
Members of the Spittal-Beauly Heritage Under Threat group say they are “appalled and angry” at the destruction that the hugely controversial electrical infrastructure project is likely to wreak on irreplaceable sites.
Sites under threat range from clearance cairns, hut circles and souterrains to historic dykes and mounds, as well as World War II forestry sites.
It is even planned to upgrade some of the historic military roads to serve as access tracks for pylons.
SSEN Transmission submitted a planning application for the 400 kV overhead line to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit at the start of September.
Opponents have been poring over the mountain of paperwork ever since.
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The group, which includes heritage experts in Sutherland, is now calling on Highland Council to lodge a holding objection against the proposal.
It is also urging the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit to allow more time for local experts and communities to prepare detailed responses to the proposals.
Helen Smith, a heritage consultant based in Strathpeffer, said: “We are calling on the Scottish Government to put this highly damaging project on hold until a proper national energy strategy is put in place which takes proper account of the irreplaceable cultural heritage of the Highlands.”
The campaign group has slammed SSEN’s report on the impact of the route on heritage sites, describing it as “shambolic and arrogant”.
Ms Smith said that, during the consultation phase, local people and community groups had tried to share information about the heritage sites along the route with SSEN, but their input had largely been ignored.
“The heritage of the East Highlands is being thrown under the proverbial bus. How dare SSEN propose this scale of destruction to Highland heritage and develop their proposals in such an arrogant and non-inclusive manner?” she said.
SSEN’s own report acknowledges that the overhead line will have “significant adverse effects” on 76 important heritage sites.
Campaigners say that 32 of the sites are likely to be partially or completely destroyed and a further 44 likely to suffer “adverse changes to their setting”. SSEN disputes that any heritage sites will either be partially or entirely destroyed.
However, the campaign group says these impacts are just the “tip of the iceberg” and in reality many more sites are under direct threat.
Jacquie Aitken, heritage and digital curator at Timespan Heritage Centre in Helmsdale, said that SSEN’s contractors had carried out limited archaeological research.
They had relied largely on Ordnance Survey maps and outdated records rather than undertaking a detailed, desk-based assessment.
She said : “The landscapes all along the Spittal-Beauly line are likely to contain valuable, undiscovered archaeology that should be protected for future generations.
“Addressing these heritage and other concerns will require SSEN to spend more time on research and to have the open, transparent discussions with local experts and communities which have sadly eluded us so far.”
Dr Nick Lindsay, a local historian and chairman of Clyne Heritage Society, said: “Appallingly, one of the 65m high pylons is proposed to be located less than 50m from Killen Broch, dating back around 2000 years to the Iron Age, above Loch Brora. If this doesn’t affect the archaeological setting, I don’t know what does!
“Also, from an aesthetic point, placing the pylon line in front of Carrol Rock as it crosses Loch Brora, the most iconic view in our parish, is blatant vandalism. No thought of the appreciation of our landscape for our residents and our visitors has been taken into account. It is scandalous.”
Dr Lindsay said that he was “shocked” at the documents relating to archaeology and heritage in SSEN’s application which he found “far from straightforward and difficult to navigate”.
He added: “It is almost as if it is a deliberate obfuscation.”
Christina Perera, local historian and secretary of Rogart Heritage Society, said: “The feelings of local communities apparently count for nothing.
“The precious and unique heritage in the East Highlands has been reduced to so many expendable ‘assets’, with SSEN telling us that it is fine for so many of our important sites to be destroyed or damaged.
“Sites at threat include everything from prehistoric remains to castles, battlefields and World War II forestry sites, and SSEN is even planning to upgrade historic military roads.”
Karen Bell, also of Rogart, said: “As a keen lover of all things ancient and historical, I find this destruction of a landscape that I visit regularly – and find myself to be in wonder of – to be utterly devastating.”
A spokesperson for SSEN Transmission said: “We have held more than 50 local consultation events and public meetings since early 2023 to inform the development of this project.
“It has been one of the biggest public consultation exercises the country has ever seen – with the feedback received helping massively to shape the final proposal for the Spittal to Beauly overhead line.
“As a Scottish-headquartered business – employing more than 2500 people – we will always work to carry out our projects in partnership with the communities we serve – and the proposed route takes into account local views, whilst considering other economic, technical and environmental impacts too – including any impact upon heritage sites.
“Specific to heritage sites, while recognising within the application that there are expected impacts, the overhead line and associated infrastructure has been developed with a view to reduce any impacts on nationally recognised assets as far as practicable, while balancing this against other notable constraints.
“Plans have been developed with the engagement of Historic Environment Scotland throughout the key stages of the design development phase.
“Our aim is always to find the most optimal route with the fewest constraints.
“The submission of our consent application for the Spittal - Loch Buidhe - Beauly 400kV overhead line project marks a key milestone in delivering UK and Scottish Government energy targets, unlocking the homegrown low-carbon electricity generation required to help deliver a cleaner, more secure and affordable electricity system for current and future generations.
“Investing to upgrade our electricity transmission network is also a major driver of jobs and economic activity locally and nationally, including our ambitious housing legacy commitments, community benefit funding proposals and workforce expansion plans.”