Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables
Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables
Camilty Wind Farm • Linlithgow Canal Centre – located approximately 17.4 km to the north of the proposed wind farm, the centre offers opportunities to take a boat trip along the canal and also contains a museum and tea rooms. The centre attracted 10,376 visitors in 2012; • Linlithgow Palace – located approximately 17.74 km to the north west of the proposed wind farm. This 15 th century ruin was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots and is located in a large parkland overlooking Linlithgow Loch; • House of the Binns – this 17 th century house located approximately 17.92 km to the north of the proposed wind farm contains a unique collection of porcelain, paintings and furniture; • Hopetoun House – located approximately 18.8 km to the north east of the proposed wind farm, this stately home is set in acres of parkland overlooking the River Forth. Hopetoun House and grounds attracted 61,889 visitors in 2012; • Blackness Castle – situated on the banks of the River Forth, this 15 th century castle located approximately 19.73 km from the proposed wind farm attracted 15,110 visitors in 2009. The castle attracted 15,451 visitors in 2012. 15.3.35 There are no recent visitor counts or visitors surveys available for Camilty Forest. The FCS portfolio analysis from 2006 estimates that Camilty Forest receives between 11,000 to 50,000 visitors per annum (FCS, 2009). However, more recent FCS estimates suggest that visitor numbers to Camilty Forest have decreased in recent years and are now likely to be far lower. 15.3.36 Of those who do visit, the majority are likely to be from the local area (Harburn, West Calder, Addiewell and Livingston) rather than from further afield. This reflects its relatively remote location and the fact that there are a number of well developed outdoor access resources within West Lothian and neighbouring local authorities, for example the Pentland Hills Regional Park. 15.3.37 The majority of visitors to Camilty Forest are likely to come for outdoor access opportunities, relaxation and bird watching. The most popular destinations include: • The main car park on the A70 at Shear Bridge which provides parking for approximately 10 cars and has recently been upgraded. The grass area next to the car park is used in the summer time as a picnic spot; • The short waymarked circular trail from the Shear Bridge car park which extends for approximately 330 m alongside Crosswood Burn; • Camilty Hill and Castle Greg Roman Fortlet (a Scheduled Ancient Monument), a Roman earthwork comprising two concentric ditches and a rampart. However, this SAM is not well signposted and there is no information about the monument at the site. Tourism Routes 15.3.38 There are no signed tourist routes within West Lothian and no scenic road routes shown on any motoring or tourist maps. However, the Consultative Draft of the Landscape Capacity Study for Wind Energy Development in West Lothian (West Lothian Council and SNH, 2011) does identify a number of principal tourist and amenity routes within West Lothian. These principal tourist and amenity routes are shown on Figure 15.3 and include: March 2013 15-12 ES Chapter 15 Socio-Economics, Tourism, Land-Use and Recreation Copyright Partnerships for Renewables Development Co. Ltd 2013 ©
Camilty Wind Farm • A70 ‘Lang Whang’ between Harperrig Reservoir and the eastern West Lothian boundary, with views southwards and eastwards to the Pentland Hills; • A70 ‘Lang Whang’ at the southern West Lothian boundary, with views northwards across Cobbinshaw Reservoir towards the Bathgate Hills; • A706 south of Whitburn, with views northwards to the Blackridge Heights and Bathgate Hills and south-eastwards towards the Pentland Hills; • A704, with views northwards across the Breich Valley and Almond Valley towards the Bathgate Hills; • A706 south of Longridge and B7010 west of Longridge, with views southwards to Leven Seat and the Gladsmuir Hills; • A706 from close to the junction with the A704, with panoramic views northwards across Polkemmet Moor and the Bathgate Hills to the Ochils in the distance; • A705 between Livingston and Seafield, with views principally southwards across the Almond Valley towards the Pentland Hills; • A899 Livingston ‘spine road’, with views southwards to Auchinoon Hill, Corston Hill and the Pentland Hills; • A89 between Blackridge and Armadale, with views northwards to the Blackridge Heights; • A800 and A801, with views eastwards to the Bathgate Hills and southwards towards the Pentland Hills; • B8046 at Tar Hill in the Bathgate Hills, directly north of Ecclesmachan, with panoramic views southwards towards the Pentland Hills; • M9 west of junction 2, with views westwards to Airngath Hill and towards the hills of Falkirk and Stirlingshire beyond; • M9 west of junction 1a, eastbound, with views southwards to the Pentland Hills; and • A904 between Newton and Queensferry, with views principally northwards across the Firth of Forth to the iconic Forth bridges and the Ochil Hills beyond. Tourism Accommodation 15.3.39 Tourism has grown rapidly in West Lothian in recent years as demonstrated in the Edinburgh and Lothians Tourism Accommodation Audit (2006) which shows that the number of serviced rooms in West Lothian has grown by 65 % in six years (from 569 rooms in 1999 to 937 rooms in 2005). Including non-serviced accommodation there were 1,242 rooms in West Lothian and 163 pitches at holiday/touring parks in 2006. 15.3.40 Tourists using serviced accommodation in West Lothian between January to September 2012 generated an estimated £50.96 million, whilst those staying in non-serviced accommodation generated an estimated £6.87 million. This revenue supported 995 full time equivalent jobs in serviced accommodation providers and 119 full time equivalent jobs in nonserviced accommodation providers (STEAM Report, 2012). 15.3.41 Table 15.8 shows the estimated number of tourists staying within serviced and non-serviced accommodation in West Lothian between January to September 2012 (later figures in 2012 March 2013 15-13 ES Chapter 15 Socio-Economics, Tourism, Land-Use and Recreation Copyright Partnerships for Renewables Development Co. Ltd 2013 ©
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<strong>Camilty</strong> <strong>Wind</strong> <strong>Farm</strong><br />
• A70 ‘Lang Whang’ between Harperrig Reservoir and the eastern West Lothian<br />
boundary, with views southwards and eastwards to the Pentland Hills;<br />
• A70 ‘Lang Whang’ at the southern West Lothian boundary, with views northwards<br />
across Cobbinshaw Reservoir towards the Bathgate Hills;<br />
• A706 south of Whitburn, with views northwards to the Blackridge Heights and<br />
Bathgate Hills and south-eastwards towards the Pentland Hills;<br />
• A704, with views northwards across the Breich Valley and Almond Valley towards the<br />
Bathgate Hills;<br />
• A706 south of Longridge and B7010 west of Longridge, with views southwards to<br />
Leven Seat and the Gladsmuir Hills;<br />
• A706 from close to the junction with the A704, with panoramic views northwards<br />
across Polkemmet Moor and the Bathgate Hills to the Ochils in the distance;<br />
• A705 between Livingston and Seafield, with views principally southwards across the<br />
Almond Valley towards the Pentland Hills;<br />
• A899 Livingston ‘spine road’, with views southwards to Auchinoon Hill, Corston Hill<br />
and the Pentland Hills;<br />
• A89 between Blackridge and Armadale, with views northwards to the Blackridge<br />
Heights;<br />
• A800 and A801, with views eastwards to the Bathgate Hills and southwards towards<br />
the Pentland Hills;<br />
• B8046 at Tar Hill in the Bathgate Hills, directly north of Ecclesmachan, with panoramic<br />
views southwards towards the Pentland Hills;<br />
• M9 west of junction 2, with views westwards to Airngath Hill and towards the hills of<br />
Falkirk and Stirlingshire beyond;<br />
• M9 west of junction 1a, eastbound, with views southwards to the Pentland Hills; and<br />
• A904 between Newton and Queensferry, with views principally northwards across the<br />
Firth of Forth to the iconic Forth bridges and the Ochil Hills beyond.<br />
Tourism Accommodation<br />
15.3.39 Tourism has grown rapidly in West Lothian in recent years as demonstrated in the Edinburgh<br />
and Lothians Tourism Accommodation Audit (2006) which shows that the number of serviced<br />
rooms in West Lothian has grown by 65 % in six years (from 569 rooms in 1999 to 937 rooms<br />
in 2005). Including non-serviced accommodation there were 1,242 rooms in West Lothian<br />
and 163 pitches at holiday/touring parks in 2006.<br />
15.3.40 Tourists using serviced accommodation in West Lothian between January to September<br />
2012 generated an estimated £50.96 million, whilst those staying in non-serviced<br />
accommodation generated an estimated £6.87 million. This revenue supported 995 full time<br />
equivalent jobs in serviced accommodation providers and 119 full time equivalent jobs in nonserviced<br />
accommodation providers (STEAM Report, 2012).<br />
15.3.41 Table 15.8 shows the estimated number of tourists staying within serviced and non-serviced<br />
accommodation in West Lothian between January to September 2012 (later figures in 2012<br />
March 2013 15-13 ES Chapter 15<br />
Socio-Economics, Tourism, Land-Use and Recreation<br />
Copyright <strong>Partnerships</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Renewables</strong> Development Co. Ltd 2013 ©