As acting Chair of Visit Mull and Iona, with the support of the VMI Steering Group, I have been working closely with Iona Community Council which has carried out thorough research on the impacts of MachairWind. VMI is now part of Hebridean Horizon, a group formed to gather further information on what MachairWind means for Mull as well as the other “host communities”. ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) has identified the Ross of Mull as a “host community” but in fact this massive, industrialised development will change life on the whole of Mull forever with no clear community benefit.
- It will cause nationally significant changes in landscape character
- It will cause environmental and ecological impacts
- It will cause socio-economic effects (tourism)
Nationally significant changes in landscape character on Mull
The attractiveness of Mull and its outlying islands lies in its outstanding natural scenery, free of development. The Isles of Iona, Staffa and Treshnish are unique icons which are recognised globally and are major draws for people choosing to visit Mull. Loch na Keal is a National Scenic Area, which includes Staffa – an important designation that protects it from inappropriate development. The scale of MachairWind will clearly visually impact Iona, Staffa, Treshnish and Loch na Keal as well as the beautiful Ross of Mull coastline and high areas such as Ben More and Burg.
Environmental and ecological impacts on Mull
There are deep concerns for the environment and ecology of the impacts of MachairWind. The seabird colonies in Staffa and the Treshnish Isles are internationally important, with Treshnish Isles a Special Protection Area. The position and scale of MachairWind indicates a high incidence of birds colliding with turbine blades and displacing them from foraging areas or travel routes.
SPR has chosen the MachairWind location because of the shallower waters, so that the turbines can be fixed to the seabed, which is cheaper than floating turbines in deep waters. The location is rich in cetaceans, fish and many marine species; shallower waters are significantly richer and more biodiverse than deeper waters. Fixed turbines are much more likely to affect marine life through noise of construction and habitat loss. The Inner Hebrides has been chosen as a location for profit, despite the increased risk of ecological damage and the loss of our unspoiled horizons and coastlines, compared to deep water locations.
Socio-economic effects (tourism) on Mull
SPR will undertake a socio-impact assessment, but it will not include input from residents, businesses, or visitors on Mull (or Iona or any of the other host communities). It fails to recognise that tourism is the mainstay of Mull’s economy, and that any loss of its reputation for unspoiled beauty would reduce visitor numbers.
The residents of Iona are very aware of the impacts of MachairWind, due to the scrutiny of their Community Council, but this is not the case for Mull. SPR has only indicated that the Ross of Mull may be impacted – the drop-in sessions for Mull went no further than Bunessan and Fionnphort, and did not provide a clear picture of the project’s scale, impacts, costs and benefits. The SPR consultation and information ignores the risks to Mull. The visitor economy of Mull benefits from the diversity of experiences on offer, including many visitors choosing to visit Iona, Staffa and the Treshnish Isles – these islands are part of the Mull “brand”. The huge area of massive turbines will be visible from many areas of the Mull coastline. Will the cruise companies, large or small, and small tour operators want to travel alongside a sea of turbines to reach Iona or any of the other “host community” islands?
Mull and its offshore islands provide the habitats for rare birdlife, whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking sharks which are drivers of tourism and provide an income for many Mull families.
There are no data on Mull tourism; Mull is included in Argyll and Bute statistics, which has a very different economy from Mull. To give an idea of the scale of tourism on Mull, with a population of around 3,000, there are over 270 accommodation providers with another 100 tourism businesses providing food outlets, visitor attractions, land and sea tours, retreats and retail. Then there are the businesses that provide services to the tourism sector from trades to technical. Ferry passengers in 2025 amounted to 739,443 (including locals) and over 200,000 of these took the ferry to Iona. We need an independent study to find out more detailed information about our visitor economy and how the community and visitors would react to such a massive environmental change. Nothing is being planned as to how the Mull economy would cope with a downturn in visitors, with construction planned to start in the next two or three years.
Almost everyone agrees with the benefits of renewable energy, but in Scotland we are shooting our tourism sector in the foot by choosing to industrialise our most globally attractive areas. The Scottish Government is leading the way in floating turbine windfarm technology and is currently creating more renewable energy than we need; they don’t need to destroy precious landscapes and environments. Surely, they are the custodians of our irreplaceable wild areas which, once despoiled, will never recover.
Margaret Matthew, Acting Chair
Visit Mull and Iona DMO