Scottish Power Renewables’ (Spanish Iberdrola) ‘Argyll Array’ off Tiree, is the largest  with a proposed  300-500 turbines spread over a 224 sq.mile area and capacity to generate energy to power 1 households (1.8GW). (Right) The plan is to apply for statutory planning consent in 2012.

Scottish and Southern Energy’s Islay offshore wind farm proposal is for 690MW, 138 turbines covering some 93km2. It submits its application for statutory consent in early 2012.

Scottish and Southern Energy’s Kintyre proposal (see above) for a 378MW, 105 wind turbine development covering approximately 70km2. It aims to submit an application for statutory consent early in 2012.

Scottish Power Renewables planning application for 10 tidal turbines in the Sound of Islay, is due to be submitted to Marine Scotland shortly.

The first of these proposals is massive with profound land-base implications for Tiree. Each of the first three is locally controversial in many ways, for example the Kintyre proposal is not far offshore and its visual impact on the scenically beautiful area of Machrihanish, now with two unique and world class golf courses, is causing real local concern for its conflict with a developing vision of what Kintyre may become.

‘Connected  Argyll and Bute’ also raises the question of the big "immediately necessary" connection. When are local business and households going to get the long promised access to the Pathfinder North broadband network provided first to the public sector in Argyll but paid for with taxpayers money at Council and Government level?