An earlier article in 'The Times' reveals a similar story. The filming of 'Kidnapped' has transferred to New Zealand for the same reason. Download a .pdf file of this story.

Highland councillors and their Perth and Kinross counterparts opposed Scottish and Southern Energy proposals to double the size of many of the structures.

After several years of debate, planning chiefs have recommended rejection of Scottish and Southern Energy's application for an upgrade of its transmission line to accommodate an expected surge of green energy production.

Scottish and Southern Energy hopes to extend the grid sub-station at Wester Balblair near Beauly to help accommodate its envisaged future surge in power from green energy projects across the Highlands.

Planning chief Ian Sleith has raised concerns about Scottish and Southern Energy's (SSE) plans to put up hundreds of steel pylons, measuring up to 200ft tall. He is recommending councillors object to the proposals because of the impact on the Perthshire landscape.

Soundings from planning chiefs, on their return from a day-long visit to key locations, suggested there will be a last-minute bid to have the planning application for the £320million transmission line upgrade rewritten to avoid a lengthy and costly public inquiry.

Its fears over the potential loss of business have been spelt out to Highland councillors who are being recommended by officials to oppose controversial proposals to upgrade the overhead power line from Beauly to Denny.

Tomorrow's road trip is meant to prepare councillors for a decision on Scottish and Southern Energy's proposals on April 12.

Stirling Council, the first local authority along the route to consider the proposal, has stopped short of lodging a formal objection for fear of being left with a hefty legal bill.

Just one planning authority affected along the route can trigger such a probe and yesterday Stirling Council informed ministers of its objection to Scottish and Southern Energy's (SSE) proposals for upgrading the Beauly to Denny transmission line.

Amid pressure on the Scottish Executive to hold a public inquiry to appease at least 19,000 objectors, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has waited until the final day open to it, to submit its thoughts on the plans to almost double the size of many pylons along the 137-mile route

MSPs fear children living close to the Beauly-Denny power line will be at a greater risk of leukaemia because of the electromagnetic fields generated by the 400kV cables.

Protesters learned yesterday that Stirling Council is to lodge an objection to plans by Scottish and Southern Energy for a £320million upgrade of its 140-mile transmission line between Beauly and Denny.

Green energy targets are under threat because the national grid is unable to cope with the large numbers of wind farms applying for connection.

A LEADING film producer is to lobby the Government in protest at plans to build up to 600 giant electricity pylons through some of Britain's most spectacular scenery.

The revelation emerged at a public meeting in the Highland village of Kilmorack at which SSE representatives gave a presentation on how the upgrade would signal a major expansion of the electricity substation.

Allan Wilson, the deputy enterprise minister has confirmed that as of January 9, the Scottish Executive had recorded 9,047 objections to the proposed power line and that there were another estimated 9,000 responses to be registered. He said there had been only 36 responses in favour of the line. Various campaign groups along the route are delighted with the extent of the opposition to electricity giant Scottish and Southern Energy's planning application. Community pressure groups have alleged the £320million project would pose a serious health risk and blight much of the landscape along the spine of the Highlands.

Councillor Bob Wynd will put forward the proposal at a planning meeting when Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) highlights its proposals to Highland Council at a future date.

To read the full article you need to subscribe to www.scotsman.com.

A late addition to an environmental statement from developers Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has led to the period for comments being extended from December 12 to January 31.

The politicians had their inaugural meeting at Holyrood yesterday to formulate their thoughts on concerns raised about radiation.

About 400 protesters, many carrying placards, were led from Balblair sub-station into Beauly by a kilted piper and Fraser clan chieftan Lord Lovat.

The figure was revealed yesterday as the deadline for public comment passed.

Protesters along the route have mounted campaigns against the 600 giant pylons - some up to 200ft high - needed to transport "green" power from new wind farms.

Campaigners are demanding a public inquiry to try to block the pylons, which would be up to 200ft high and stretch from Beauly, near Inverness, to Denny, in Stirlingshire.

Among the protesters who walked the two miles from Balblair sub-station to Beauly was Fraser clan chieftain Lord Lovat, who travelled from London for the march.

It is indeed a great turnout. There are about 300 of us standing around on a patch of land at the edge of the Inverness-shire village of Beauly. Around us, placards are being waved and banners unfurled with slogans reading "Bury the pylons" and "Preserve local beauty".

Opponents of the line said the larger pylons would ruin the landscape.

Lord Lovat and his sister, Honor Fraser, fear that a line of pylons could kill the birds, including one of the first pairs of red kites reintroduced to Britain.

The Cairngorm Club, which has 500 members based mostly in Aberdeen, condemned the proposals by Scottish and Southern Energy for a transmission line from Beauly to Denny.

Apparently, the proposal is to bring the subsea cable to the head of Loch Broom, into Lael Woods and then southwards approximately 80 yards East of the A835 to the Garve side of Braemore Junction, across to Strome Woods and then follow the line of the A835 to Loch Luichart. (This is more or less the route that we suspected they would survey for the undergrounding option).

The survey is scheduled to take place on 13 December and interestingly they are also looking at Beauly area first. (Sorry no other details of exactly where in Beauly area they are looking)

SSE may be looking at recent undergrounding schemes in Australia and Japan, apparently Japan has successfully developed undergrounding technology that is reliable. Does anyone know about the Japanese technology??

If anyone has any more information we would be pleased to hear.

Power giant AMEC has proposed a 200-mile, sub-sea alternative to link massive windfarms on the Western Isles to the mainland, coming ashore at Hunterston in Ayrshire.

Amec has said that an overland cable scheme — opposed by campaigners because it threatens to destroy some of Scotland’s most precious countryside and create a public health risk — should be abandoned.

Pylon Pressure, a local group which has been formed to protect Beauly and the surrounding area from the pylons "blighting" the landscape hosted the meeting at the Phipps Hall.

The 1970s hit song, with its "underground, overground" chorus, will feature as protesters try to gather fresh support over concerns about plans for a 137-mile Beauly-Denny upgrade.

Canadian-born Brendan Clouston is the former executive vice president and chief operating officer of the American cable giant, Tele-Communications Inc. Now, he and "like-minded friends" are financing the newly-launched campaign group, Pylon Pressure, to fight proposals for a 137-mile high voltage powerline from Beauly to Denny.

Planners revealed that a request for an extra six weeks to digest SSE's 1.7million-word document, in order to give a comprehensive and balanced response, had been rejected.

The text of the reports can be viewed by downloading a .pdf file.

The White Cockade Society has used a commemoration marking the 290th anniversary of the Battle of Sheriffmuir near Dunblane to highlight its opposition to the blades and the 200ft high electricity pylons which could replace the existing structures between Beauly in the Highlands and Denny in Stirlingshire.

Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks proposed a 10-year extension to concessionary terms for windfarms in the northern and western isles to link to the National Grid.

Environmental campaigner Bob Graham this week warned that Moray will suffer from a likely electricity upgrade from Beauly to Kintore to service the growing number of wind farm developments.

Download a pdf file to read more.

Great publicity, but can anyone contacting the press please try to get the address of this website mentioned.