SCOTLAND'S mountaineering body is warning Highland councillors they will be on the wrong side of a crucial environmental debate if they fail to oppose two controversial wind farms next week.

A total of 48 turbines are proposed for Glencassley and Sallachy wind farms, just a few miles apart beside Loch Shin in Sutherland.

Scottish ministers will make the final decision whether to permit the developments, but a public inquiry will be triggered if Highland Council's north area planning committee opposes either on Tuesday.

Planning officials have recommended councillors do not object to either as long as energy firm SSE's plan for 26 turbines at Glencassley is reduced by three.

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and John Muir Trust have raised objections.

It is claimed both applications would have a severe impact on precious and unspoiled mountain uplands and intrude on the Assynt-Coigach National Scenic area within it.

David Gibson, chief officer of the MCofS, said: "It will be truly shocking if Highland councillors vote in favour of wind farm proposals that would do such damage to the wild landscapes that make Assynt-Coigach so special.

"It would put councillors on the wrong side of the conservation debate, the wrong side of public opinion and would do a great wrong to the natural heritage they are supposed to protect, and which is so important to their constituents' tourism businesses.

"Highland councillors have previously shown grave concern about the impact of inappropriate wind farms and we hope they will do the right thing and oppose these hideous applications."

He said the Scottish Government had recently indicated in its National Planning Framework 3 consultation that it may make small, but welcome, moves towards protecting national scenic areas from wind-farm industrialisation.

"It would be deeply unfortunate if these wind farms were given a green light while the Government is consulting on these proposals."

He said the MCofS believed any proposal there would be a mistake "and two so close together would be disastrous because of their cumulative impact".

A spokesman for SSE said "The MCofS has got it wrong again. The proposed wind farm at Glen- cassley has been carefully designed so that no turbines will impact the views of Ben More Assynt from local residences and tourist routes.

"It is also wrong to say, as MCofS do, that the development will 'intrude' on the Assynt-Coigach National Scenic Area. This is backed up by Scottish Natural Heritage who have stated they 'do not consider the impacts of Glencassley will affect the integrity of the NSA'."

Meanwhile, Oliver Patent, head of international development at WKN, the Sallachy's developers, said the project represented a potential investment into Scotland of over £130 million and the creation of more than 70 jobs.

"WKN is aware of the debate surrounding wild land. In our discussions with local people, we have concluded they want wind farms that are sensitively sited and are not sited close to rural Highland communities," he said.