Concerns in the Highlands as a phone company submits plans for a new mast in a controversial location
Mountaineers have called on Highland Council to reject a bid to site a phone mast right next to the road down Glen Etive, one of Scotland’s most famed and beautiful glens.
Telecomms company EE has sought permission to site a 10m-high phone mast and ancillary structures at the roadside in the glen, at a prominent corner near the southern end of Buachaille Etive Mor.
Mountaineering Scotland has objected to the planning application, arguing that the mast – and two others being considered for the glen – would be visually intrusive in a landscape that has featured in tourism publicity and even a James Bond film.
David Gibson, CEO of Mountaineering Scotland, said: “Glen Etive is an iconic, beautiful glen within a National Scenic Area: one which offers visitors a fantastic experience of the true wild nature of Scotland’s mountains.
“The mast and infrastructure would render some views utterly ordinary.
“The proposal is simply unacceptable and is a poor example of a developer seeking an expedient solution. We would expect EE and their parent BT Group to exercise better judgement of the true value of Scotland’s landscape, as an asset to be enjoyed by many, not exploited for a quick fix solution. We ask them withdraw the proposal and think again.”
Mountaineering Scotland represents mountaineers and hillwalkers in Scotland, working in conjunction with England and Wales’s British Mountaineering Council. It represents over 13,000 members.
