Curlethney Hill is a
landform
A landform is a land feature on the solid surface of the Earth or other planetary body. They may be natural or may be anthropogenic (caused or influenced by human activity). Landforms together make up a given terrain, and their arrangement ...
in
Aberdeenshire,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
within the
Mounth Range of the
Grampian Mountains. (Grid Reference NO 918 839) The peak elevation of this mountain is 246 metres above mean sea level. This landform lies slightly southwest of the village of
Netherley. The northwest boundary of the
moorland atop Curlethney Hill is formed by the southwestern flanks of
Craggie Cat, a nearby peak.
Geology and hydrology
This mountain is covered virtually entirely with moorland. Curlethney Hill is situated approximately 0.9 kilometers to the east of
Meikle Carewe Hill;
surface runoff and drainage from the northern and eastern slopes of Curlethney Hill flows north to Crynoch Burn, at reaches above the
Red Moss. Waters within the Red Moss are decidedly
acid
An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...
ic, with measured summer
pH values in the range of 5.67. These low pH levels may be caused in part by the
peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...
drainage from the moorland on Meikle Carewe Hill and Curlethney Hill. The southwest flanks of Curlethney Hill drain to
Cowton Burn, a tributary of the
Cowie Water.
Wind farm proposal
Renewable Energy Resources has an application pending before the
Aberdeenshire Council to create a
windfarm for
electrical power
Electric power is the rate of transfer of electrical energy within a electric circuit, circuit. Its SI unit is the watt, the general unit of power (physics), power, defined as one joule per second. Standard prefixes apply to watts as with oth ...
generation using Curlethney Hill, Meikle Carewe Hill and nearby high ground to install 12 wind turbines, four of which are proposed for Curlethney Hill itself, and two others to be in the saddle areas on either side of Curlethney Hill. Each turbine would reach a height of 70 metres above grade level, and the entire complex could generate enough power to supply the equivalent of 5000 homes. Environmental concerns over the proposal include
noise pollution
Noise pollution, or sound pollution, is the propagation of noise or sound with potential harmful effects on humans and animals. The source of outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines, transport and propagation systems.Senate Publi ...
, visual impact
Meikle Carewe Windfarm Action Group website
and ecological disturbance.
See also
* Raedykes
References
Mountains and hills of Aberdeenshire
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