Construction has now begun on what will be Europe's largest wind farm at Whitelee. ScottishPower's £300m wind power project is situated 10 miles south of Glasgow on Eaglesham Moor.

When complete, the 140 turbine Whitelee windfarm will produce 322MW of electricity – that’s most of Glasgow’s domestic electricity needs!

Whitelee has been in the planning process since January 2002 and the objections on aviation grounds from BAA have been resolved ensuring that the development can proceed. ScottishPower has taken this opportunity to deliver significant environmental benefits including a full public access strategy across the 55sq.km site and a 2,000 hectare habitat management area for the benefit of species such as short-eared owl, black grouse and upland waders.

Whitelee will be three times the size of the UK's current largest wind farm (Black Law in South Lanarkshire, another ScottishPower development) and Project Manager Stuart Mason is confident that Whitelee will come in on schedule in the estimated three years it will take to complete.

16 per cent of Scotland’s power already comes from renewables and when operational Whitelee will be able to supply approximately 3.5 per cent of Scotland's electricity needs in a typical year, as well as displacing 650,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

The photo above shows Alistair Darling and 3 school pupils burying a time capsual on-site to be unearthed in 25 years time when the wind farm is decomissioned.