Highland councillors have objected to plans for a large battery storage site near the Castle of Mey, a historic property once restored by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
The proposed development would be located just two miles from the castle in Caithness.
Developer Simec Atlantis Energy wants to install more than 300 batteries on a 25-acre site near Thurso.
The scheme has faced opposition from local officials concerned about its impact on the castle and tourism in the area.
King Charles and Queen Camilla at Castle of Mey.
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Local residents have described the proposal as an “industrial eyesore” that would damage the tranquil and historic landscape surrounding the royal property.
The 300MW battery energy storage system would be one of the highest capacity battery sites in Scotland, with around 350 units.
The system is designed to store excess energy generated by wind farms and release it back to the National Grid during periods of high demand.
Simec Atlantis Energy has claimed the scheme would have minimal impact on the surrounding area.
The company argues it would help improve energy security for the region.
Council planner Dafydd Jones noted the site would be only 3m (9.8ft) high and “not particularly prominent or visible” except from the immediately adjacent road.
Councillor Matthew Reiss argued the scheme would be “right on the doorstep” of the castle and other tourist attractions.
The development could impact tourism along the popular North Coast 500 route around northern Scotland.
Andy Hayton, a resident of Mey, condemned the proposal as an “industrial eyesore” that would “brutalise the tranquil and historic landscape of Mey”.
He expressed concerns about environmental impacts of the battery storage facility.
Castle of Mey.
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Hayton also called the developer’s plan to plant trees to mitigate the site’s visual impact “insulting”.
Council officers have warned that their objection may not hold up when scrutinised by Scottish ministers.
The final decision will be made by the Scottish Government’s energy consents unit.
The Castle of Mey has significant royal connections dating back to 1952, when Queen Elizabeth first saw what was then known as Barrogill Castle while mourning King George VI.
She restored the property in the 1950s and spent holidays there until October 2001.
The King, her grandson, continues this tradition, spending more than a week at the castle every summer.
He has made alterations to the gardens established by his grandmother, who died aged 101 in 2002.
TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh, who knew Queen Elizabeth well, has donated a large collection of roses to the Shell Garden.
Titchmarsh serves as an honorary patron of the castle’s friends’ organisation.
