The developer behind controversial plans for a windfarm on a Highland Munro has withdrawn the planning application.
And the move has been welcomed by the organisation representing mountaineers and hillwalkers in Scotland.
The proposed scheme submitted by ABO Wind UK involved erecting five turbines behind Cnoc a’ Bhreacaich hill, at Woodlands Farm, near Dingwall, and campaigners claimed it should not be built so close to Ben Wyvis.
The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) objected to the plan in January this year, citing the “completely unacceptable” visual impact on the scenically important area to the north of Inverness.
And MCofS Chief Officer David Gibson today said: “We are pleased to learn that ABO has withdrawn this application after the Highland Council stated that it would not be able to support the application due to its visual impact.
“Developers should take note that any future proposals, which encroach on Ben Wyvis and its surround, will be fought by the MCofS and by other organisations and many individuals throughout Scotland and beyond, who believe in the importance of protecting what is now left of Scotland’s fantastic mountain landscapes.”
He pointed out that the news came in the same week that Eurowind UK Ltd withdrew an application for the 17-turbine Nathro Hill wind farm near Brechin in Angus, on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park.