As the voice of Scotland’s mountain lovers and mountaineers, we stand up against insensitive development proposals that would have negative impact on Scottish mountain landscapes.
We get approached by government agencies, local authorities, national parks and developers on relevant development consultation exercises and make responses where we feel it is necessary.
In recent years the number of applications to construct industrial-scale wind farms in wild land like Rannoch Moor and Glen Affric, has grown significantly and this has provided the bulk of proposals we currently object to.
Our decision to object is guided by specific criteria, reflecting our vision, Respecting Scotland's Mountains. It is only a very small number but if permitted, they could have a huge impact on the wildness of some cherished locations.
Developers only have to inform us of large-scale development proposals, so we rely on the local knowledge and concerns of our members to hear about smaller-scale development activities that might still pose damage to Scotland's mountain landscape.
Advice given to Mountaineering Scotland by planning officers is that weight of numbers can influence the acceptance, conditions attached or refusal of a planning application. Politicians and policy are also influenced by public opinion.
What you can do to help:
1. Check out your local planning authority's website to keep up to date with planning proposals in your area
2. Update us of issues that fit with our criteria for response
3. Respond to planners directly with your own comments
Politicians and policy are influenced by public opinion - make sure your voice is heard by the people elected to serve us. Contacting your political representatives, whether at local authority, parliamentary or Scottish Government level is a lot easier than you may think: