The explosion of wind turbines across Scotland has divided opinion – and polarised communities across the north and north-east.
In every part of the region, support for wind energy marginally exceeds the opposition, according to the results of our survey.
Yet in all of those areas, respondents also supported a review of the Scottish Government’s green energy ambitions.
In Aberdeen – the centre of Europe’s energy sector for three decades – support for wind turbines is at its highest.
Of the city residents polled, 66% were in favour of the green energy source, and more than half disagreed with critics such as Donald Trump, who suggest too many have been built already.
Yet 53% still felt turbines were spoiling the landscape, and 54% backed calls for a policy review.
There have been more than 800 wind turbine planning applications in Aberdeenshire since February last year – but, despite the wind rush, 62% of those questioned in the region supported turbines.
While exactly half of shire resident said they did not think the structures spoiled their rural surroundings, 68% still wanted a review.
There is major support for turbines – 66% – in Moray, but 54% of locals feel too many have already been built.
In the Highlands and islands – where huge, industrial-scale windfarms are going up – support for a review of planning policy is at its highest, at 73%. With Moray, it is one of only two areas where the public believe too many are being built.
People are split in Inverness, where 47% are in favour of wind energy, 46% are against and 7% are not sure.
Last night, a Scottish Government spokesman said it stood by its existing planning policies, claiming they already prevent turbines being built where they are not appropriate.
He said: “There have been several surveys published in recent days and they provide clear evidence that a majority of people in Scotland support renewables, including clean energy generated from wind, as part of a balanced energy policy.”
The survey was carried out by Ideas in Partnership on behalf of the Press and Journal.
It was taken from an industry-standard sample of 500 people, chosen at random from addresses in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Inverness and the Highlands and islands on Monday.
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