A direct descendant of a formidable buccaneering captain of a 19th century whale-hunting ship from Dundee has been granted planning permission to build a 150-acre solar farm in nearby Angus.
Stracathro and Careston Estates is a 2,500 acre mixed arable farm business, based around Brae of Pert, Laurencekirk, north Angus. It employs nine people and turns over £1.7 million a year.
Director Hugh Campbell Adamson, 60, is a descendant of the son of Capt. John Adamson (1813-93) who bought the Erichtside linen works in Blairgowrie and, in 1871, Careston Castle from the Earl of Fife.
Angus Council has approved the application by Stracathro and Careston Estates to install 90,000 photovoltaic solar-power panels on a greenfield site at East Balloch, near Montrose. It will generate enough electricity to provide power to 5,000 homes.
Project consultant Borealis Energy said the ‘relatively’ remote location was ‘an ideal place’ for development. A spokesman said: “Stracathro and Careston Estates has engaged with local residents on the estate and in the area surrounding the site.
“All residents neighbouring the site or the farm access track have been consulted one-to-one – in most cases with a meeting and in the remainder with a phone call.”
Pixie Energy is an incubator and a facilitator of strategic research and project work, focusing on energy regulation, policy and markets at the local and national level. Find out more about Pixie Energy