WORK to remove redundant electricity pylons from the Cairngorms National Park started yesterday.
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing visited Scottish and Southern Energy’s (SSE) site near Boat of Garten to see the first of the structures being felled.
The MSP for Inverness and Nairn said the project would have a huge impact on the stunning landscape in Britain’s largest national park.
The pylons are being taken away as part of the upgrade of the 137-mile Beauly-Denny power line needed for the development of renewable energy projects in the far north.
Nearly 68 miles of electricity lines are being taken down as part of the project to upgrade the transmission line from 132kV to 400kV.
As part of the scheme, 33 miles of line will be removed between Boat of Garten and the national park.
Nearly 25 miles of 132kV line between Etteridge and Boat of Garten will be replaced with 33kV overhead lines supported by wooden poles, or underground cables.
Work in the national park began at the Lecht in October and will continue until late 2012.
Mr Ewing was on hand to see work start on the first part of the scheme, in which the steel pylons will be removed and not replaced.
He called the project the “most significant” grid infrastructure project in a generation.
“Scotland’s electricity network needs significant reinforcement to allow our vast renewables potential to be harnessed, transmitted and exported,” he said.
“Currently we simply do not have the transmission capacity to carry the green energy which Scotland will generate over the coming years.
“The upgrade will also improve the landscape in areas such as this one, the beautiful Cairngorms National Park, as old pylons are removed and replaced in a way designed to minimise the impact on the views around them.”
SSE director of transmission Ian Funnell said work in the north of Scotland was vital to help the growth of renewable generation.
He added: “We have worked closely with the local communities, landowners and the Cairngorms National Park Authority and are pleased with the response we’ve had on the removal of the towers and the regeneration that will take place in areas such as Abernethy Forest.”
The bulk of the power line is being built by SSE, with ScottishPower responsible for a highly contentious 12-mile stretch north of Denny.
Local people want the line, which goes close to the Wallace Monument, buried.
However, ScottishPower claims “undergrounding” would be too expensive.
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