Further Information
This page is dedicated to research, news articles and reports from experts regarding the impact created by wind farms like MachairWind. It will be updated regularly as we obtain more information to share. Once the SPR licence application is published, we will provide a link to the application documents and further information on how to object on our How to Object page.
Media Coverage & Letters
Why We Should ALL Care About the Proposed MachairWind Offshore Wind Farm - 01.07.26
Letter written to Round & About (Mull & Iona's local paper) discussing why the people of north Mull (and other communities not directly in the line of sight of SPR's proposed wind farm) may still be affected by MachairWind
TGS Announces MachairWind Application Has Been Submitted to the Marine Directorate – 23.06.26
TGS | 4C (formerly 4C Offshore) is the premier market intelligence and marine consultancy business for the global offshore wind and renewable energy sectors. Today they have announced that ScottishPower Renewables has submitted its application for the proposed MachairWind offshore wind project to the Scottish Government's Marine Directorate.
Council Advised to Oppose Wind Farm off Isle of Lewis Coast – 17.06.26
Planning officers in the Western Isles are recommending that councillors object to a large offshore wind farm off the west coast of Lewis due to negative impact on the environment, landscape and seascape.
Iona Residents Oppose MachairWind Proposal – 14.06.26
Plan for 91 turbines in offshore site of "top tier sensitivity" causes Iona islanders to campaign for Scottish Power Renewables' licence application to be rejected.
Britain Should Stop Building Wind Farms – 12.06.26
The UK Chief Executive of EDF Energy (one of the biggest energy utility groups in Europe) has called for a pause on approval of new wind projects, and to focus instead on using the power that’s already being generated with existing infrastructure.
Documentary: Why is Britain turning off its own wind farms?
Modo Energy's YouTube video explains why wind farm owners were paid £350 million to switch turbines off in 2025. At the same time, Britain spent over a billion pounds firing up gas plants to replace it. The total bill: £1.35 billion. And it's passed directly onto consumers in their energy bills. Watch the video to find out more!
MachairWind: Industrial Development on a Scale Never Before Seen in the Inner Hebrides - 10.06.26
Scottish Beacon is a collaborative network of independent local newsrooms aimed at strengthening the voice of the community-based media sector and bringing to light under-reported real stories from Scotland’s communities.
Scotland is already a net exporter of electricity, generating nearly twice as much as it can consume annually, and a very high percentage of energy currently generated in Scotland is being discarded due to lack of grid infrastructure to distribute it, with taxpayers in Scotland paying £300m annually for wind farms to turn off their turbines!
Hebrides Cruises Letter Expressing Concern About MachairWind- 10.06.26
A leader in Hebridean local small ship wildlife cruises expresses concern about the impact of MachairWind's proposed development
Offshore Wind Site Should Be Protected Says NatureScot – 05.06.26
NatureScot, the public body responsible for advising the Scottish Government on all matters relating to the natural environment advises proposed wind farm (Berwick Bank, a site of similar sensitivity to MachairWind) should be protected.
Building More Wind Farms Makes No Sense – 09.05.26
Tom Glover, UK Country Manager for RWE, one of the UK’s biggest power producers admits that building more wind farms makes no sense.
Reports from Experts
10 Things to Consider Before Approving Another Offshore Wind Farm
Academic paper by Lonneke Goddijn-Murphy exploring the lesser known (but very important) factors that should be considered before approving any more offshore wind farms.
Goddijn-Murphy, L.M. (2026) 10 Things to consider before approving another offshore wind farm: A case study for Highland, Scotland. Ocean & Coastal Management. Volume 271, 107956