Services

Landscape and visual impact assessment

Visualisations and Graphic Support

Key Tasks

Landscape and visual impact assessment

Landscape design

Stakeholder consultation

Visualisations

What we did

ASH was commissioned by Balmoral Estates to prepare a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) for the 2 MW Muick run–of–river hydroelectric scheme, located on the Balmoral Estates, approximately 5 km south of Ballater in Cairngorms National Park.

The scheme comprised the following key elements:

• An intake weir spanning the River Muick, approximately 36m in length;

• A semi-buried powerhouse, set into an existing grassy bank with only the front face visible;

• A buried pipeline of 1.4 m in diameter to convey water from the intake to the powerhouse;

• A buried tailrace and outlet structure which would discharge water back into the River Muick via an open pool;

• Minor improvements to an existing concrete fish ladder located at the Linn of Muick waterfall; and

• Short sections of new access tracks provided for operational access to the intake and powerhouse structures.

The purpose of the LVIA was to identify and describe potential significant effects which may occur as a result of the proposed development to views obtained by those living, working and visiting in the area and the wider landscape resource.

ASH liaised with Cairngorms National Park during the preparation of the LVIA. ASH worked closely with the project engineers Cairneyhill Ltd on the landscape mitigation measures, including the location, design and finish of the powerhouse. ASH prepared visualisations to illustrate the proposals and to support the application.

The Glen Muick scheme was consented by Cairngorms National Park in July 2018.