A woman whose home overlooks a wind farm in Aberdeenshire has claimed it was like living next to Heathrow Airport in London but with “none of the advantages”.
Rosemary Milne said her detached house was just 1,377ft away from the nearest turbine at West Knock near Stuartfield.
She claimed the noise from the three 262ft tall turbines was a constant irritation, kept her awake at night and disturbed her horses which are kept in a nearby field.
Ms Milne’s concerns were played down by landowner and former councillor Albert Howie, who set up Stuartfield Wind Power.
He said the turbines, which have been operational since 2011, were exactly the same size as hundreds of other devices across Scotland which were located as close to houses and claimed she would never be happy because she is “anti-wind farm”.
But Ms Milne, who has lived in her home for 13 years, said: “You cannot believe how noisy the turbines can be and it definitely has had an impact on our lives.
“The irritation is extreme and it is stressful to be here – it is really awful.
“It is like living under Heathrow with none of the advantages, like hopping on a plane and going to Spain.
“Our lives have been overshadowed by noise, flicker and visual impact for the last four years.”
Ms Milne said she imagined that the turbines had “almost certainly” affected the value of her house.
But Mr Howie said the noise from the devices was “miniscule” in comparison to the clatter of helicopters flying overhead on their way to and from the North Sea’s oil and gas fields.
He said: “The noise does not come on suddenly, it is gradual and the prevailing wind is south-westerly so it is mostly blowing away from her.
“The turbines are exactly the same size as hundreds across the country and make the same noise as other farms equally near houses.
“The problem with Rosie is she is totally against wind turbines and there is nothing that would keep her happy.”
Mr Howie claimed the turbines had been tested three or four times and the results were what a reasonable person would consider acceptable.
He added that the device closest to Ms Milne’s house would be adjusted slightly, but the work would take time and the firm had “co-operated all the way”.
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