OREANDA-NEWS. Over 60 people from the communities of Golspie, Brora, Helmsdale and Rogart visited SSE's Gordonbush wind farm on Saturday to learn more about the site, and its construction, as part of a community open day.

Visitors were welcomed at Fountain Road Church Hall in Golspie before being piped onto the bus by the Sutherland Schools Pipe Band and taken on a guided tour to the site. Upon arrival people were greeted by SSE's operations team, who help run the wind farm, and given time to see the turbines up close, before returning to the Church Hall for a buffet lunch.

SSE's Liaison Manager, Ruth Liddicoat, who helped organise the event, said: “During the construction of Gordonbush wind farm, we promised to provide an opportunity for the community to visit the site once it became operational. We had to cancel the event last year due to bad weather, but this time the weather was kind to us and we had perfect conditions - enough wind for the site to be generating well, but not too much that people got cold.

“We were very surprised at how quickly the spaces on the tours filled up and also by the positive feedback we received from people after the event - almost everyone seemed to have a good time and be genuinely impressed by the site. We are also very proud to be sponsoring the Pipe Band this year and delighted that they were able to be part of the day, in addition to the Coffee Bothy in Golspie whose wonderful food created a really lovely buffet for everyone afterwards. MacLeod's Coaches of Rogart also provided a first class service, as always.”

Catherine MacLeod from Golspie said: “I was brought up in the Ascoile area where the wind farm now lies and I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. As a shepherd's daughter, I know that land like the back of my hand and now that the sheep have gone it seems like a very sensible place for a wind farm. It was a great day out, with lovely weather, and the Pipe Band who played for us really topped it off.”

Elspeth Ross from Rogart said: “It was a fantastic day. I loved seeing the turbines up close; they're graceful, quiet, and not a blot on the landscape in my opinion. It was lovely to have the opportunity to visit the wind farm and we were made to feel very welcome. It was a great educational trip.”

Hazel Dunn who was staying in Forsinard said: “The organisation and planning for the wind farm at Gordonbush is an excellent example of good community involvement and communication. Others should use this as a model.”

Gordonbush is a 35 turbine wind farm which became operational in June 2012 and has an installed generating capacity of 70MW (megawatts).