Services

Landscape and visual impact assessment

Visualisations and Graphic Support

Key Tasks

Seascape and visual impact assessment

Photomontages

Stakeholder consultation

What we did

Grieg Seafood Shetland Ltd. lodged an application with The Highland Council (THC) for modifying two existing fish farm sites called Leinish Fish Farm and Gob na Hoe Fish Farm off the coast of the Isle of Skye within Loch Dunvegan. THC  determined that a Landscape / Seascape and Visual Assessment was required as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment in support of the proposed alterations to the site. ASH was appointed to carry out this work together with the production of visualisations.

Settlement within the area is mainly concentrated within the village of Dunvegan on the south-east coast of the loch, which is well known for its castle and pier. The heart of the village is approximately 4km south-east of the proposed development. Along the western shoreline of Loch Dunvegan, small coastal crofting settlements are largely concentrated along minor roads, which tend to obtain elevated views across Loch Dunvegan, and the ridgeline to the east. The Zone of Theoretical Visibility indicated some visibility from these settlements.

The proposed site modifications in both cases would consist of reductions in pen numbers but increases in pen size from 80m to 120m circumference. Feed would be supplied by automated feed barges of the same specification and colouring as the existing, with the barges remaining at their current locations.

Of the landscape and visual receptors assessed none were predicted to receive significant effects. This is largely due to a combination of the minor nature of the changes, and foreground topographic screening / distance, resulting in a reduced magnitude of change.