Education and leisure amenities
Enjoying the windfarm site
At Skelmonae and Hill of Skilmafilly windfarms we have provided acess to the hillsides by building free car parking spaces and tracks for walking, cycling and horseriding. We have also installed picnic tables and benches, and information boards placed at viewpoints atop the hills.
Many guided tours of Skelmonae Windfarm have already been conducted for classes of interested schoolchildren, community and college groups, and private individuals.
We have held a number of events and open days for local farmers, via the National Farmers’ Union of Scotland (NFUS) to demonstrate the possibilities for wind power generation.
We have created an attractive walking, cycling and horse-riding trail that measures 2.5km through Skelmonae and 1.6km through Hill of Skilmafilly, with 1km of minor road linking the two, to provide a pleasant route through the countryside that is over 5km in length. We are happy to have been able to make the trails available for events such as charity cycle races held by local community organisations.
The verges at the side of the wide track have been raised on some of the more exposed sections, to provide shelter from the elements. We have planted the areas alongside the track with flowering bulbs and species-rich grasses and wildflowers, to encourage a wide range of insects and wildlife to live and forage there.
On a clear day, there is a lovely view from Skelmonae, across rolling fields towards the landmark of Bennachie in the distance.
From Hill of Skilmafilly, the view is also impressive – spanning a 285 degree arc all the way from the southeast to the north of Buchan.
To add to the charm of the setting, we introduced scattered planting of hundreds of mixed daffodil and bluebell bulbs in the grass beside the trail. Also, the grass seed planted there and on the banks next to the turbines is species-rich, so provides a good habitat for a diverse range of insects and wildlife.
Insects attracted to the flowers, plus seeds from the varied grasses and wildflowers, help to feed wild birds and animals in the area.
