The Forestry Commission is making tracts of land available for developers as Scotland strives to meet renewable energy targets. A £2.5 million annual community fund is to be made available to locals as part of the project, which could develop up to 500MW of energy a year from 200 new turbines.
The scheme will see the country split into four "lots" in which power firms will source woodland which can be used for wind farms.
Central Scotland — covering Stirlingshire, Cowal, the Trossachs and Tayside — will be investigated by Germany's PNE Wind UK, which has recently set up an Edinburgh base.
But with mass opposition to every large-scale wind farm project in Perth and Kinross so far — and a local authority yet to grant planning permission for any — the idea of more turbines in rural Perthshire will not sit well with the public.
Strathbraan residents have stated they feel "under siege" after a cluster of large-scale wind farms were approved in their hills and developers cast more speculative glances their way. Big turbines were also built in the environmentally important Ochils south of Perth.
Perth-based Green Highland Renewables will also source small-scale hydro projects under the scheme announced by environment minister Roseanna Cunningham during a visit to their offices on Tuesday.
Potential
Developers will spend eight months working up a list of suitable sites to take to the planning process.
The scheme has been backed by environmental groups including Friends of the Earth Scotland, whose Juliet Swann said, "Forestry Commission lands should be looked after for public benefit in a way that increases their value to society and the environment.
