Lowther Hills (North Lowther Energy Initiative) (147 MW wind farm)
Lowther Hills (North Lowther Energy Initiative) is a 147 MW wind farm project in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: refused on appeal on 8 January 2023; the record was last updated on 5 July 2021. As a project over 50 MW in Scotland, it is decided by Scottish Ministers under Section 36.
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 12 June 2017 | Application submitted |
| 7 December 2018 | Appeal lodged |
| 8 January 2021 | Refused by the planning authority |
| 8 January 2023 | Appeal refused |
Project details
- Technology
- wind farm
- Capacity
- 147 MW
- Status (REPD)
- refused on appeal
- Record last updated
- 5 July 2021
- Operator or applicant
- Forsa (formerly 2020 Renewables/ Buccleuch)
- Planning authority
- Scottish Government (S36)
- Planning application reference
- ECU00000426
- Appeal reference
- WIN-170-2004
- Turbines
- 30
- Turbine height
- 149 m
- Address (REPD)
- near Wanlockhead and the Muirkirk and North Lowther Uplands special protection area
- Council area (by location)
- Dumfries and Galloway
- Time to decision
- 187 weeks
- REPD reference
- 5181
Who decides
As a project over 50 MW in Scotland, it is decided by Scottish Ministers under Section 36. Scottish Government (S36) refused 18% of 334 decided solar, wind and battery applications in REPD (median 127 weeks to a decision). Across all UK planning authorities 19% of 10,236 decided applications were refused.
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leadhills Wind Farm | wind farm | 49 | refused | 5.7 |
| Wind farm at Rivox Wind Farm Lowther Hills West Of Moffat | wind farm | 208 | application submitted | 6.3 |
| Spango Community Wind Farm | wind farm | 49 | application withdrawn | 6.4 |
| Spango Community Wind Farm | wind farm | 49 | refused | 7.6 |
| Wind Turbines at Herds Hill Wind Farm | wind farm | 10.3 | application submitted | 7.7 |
| Sandy Knowe Wind Farm Extension | wind farm | 21.6 | approved, not built | 8.2 |
| Harryburn Wind Farm | wind farm | 67 | refused on appeal | 8.9 |
Status and dates as recorded in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract); the database is compiled from public sources and can lag behind council decisions. Location: REPD grid reference (55.4163, -3.8425).