The Protest

The aim of SWAG is to stop any windfarm development on Skye and where possible help to stop any windfarm developments in Scotland.

The "Enterprise and Culture Committee" of the Scottish Parliament called SWAG to present evidence showing the need for a moratorium on all windfarm developments in Scotland pending a strategic plan for Scotlands's energy production.

SWAG fully supports renewable energy that is available 24hrs a day , 7 days a week such as tidal power. Indeed we are proud of the fact that the highlands have led the way for over 50 years with hydro power - available 24 hrs a day and supplying 100% of our electricity needs.

SWAG is highly concerned that, in the current trend to be 'seen to be green', that the profit margins for companies like AMEC and RDC will allow untold vandalism to be inflicted on our landscape under the pretext of saving the planet.

SWAG  opposes any wind farm development on Skye on the following grounds

1 : To date, windfarms have not caused the closure of a single coal fired power station and will not do so.

2 : They provide little or no permanent jobs at the windfarm locations.

3: They will cause massive losses to the tourist industry, a mainstay of the Skye economy.

4 : They have the potential to cause the downfall of crofting as a way of life by taking common grazings out of crofting tenure.

5 : Windfarms can only ever be an "as well as" and never be " instead of" power stations powered by fossil fuels or nuclear.

6 : Businesses and the general public are now starting to bear the costs of subsidising windfarms through climate change levy and increased electricity costs.

7 : Future power cuts are now inevitable because of the lack of investment in sustainable power generation due to government failure in controlling how our power is generated.