Visitor Centre celebrates 15 years and over 1 million visitors
The Visitor Centre at ScottishPower Renewables’ Whitelee Windfarm is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Opened to the public in September 2009, with the aim of bringing energy and education together, the interactive exhibition, learning hub and café has burgeoned into a popular attraction.
Having also recorded over a million visitors, it’s a double celebration for the site at the UK’s largest onshore windfarm. ScottishPower Renewables’ CEO Charlie Jordan and MP for East Renfrewshire Blair McDougal paid a visit to highlight the centre’s contribution to promoting renewable energy, environmental education and its many benefits to the community.
Charlie Jordan, CEO of ScottishPower Renewables, said, “The Whitelee Visitor Centre has been a beacon of renewable energy generation, education and community engagement for the past 15 years.
“It’s become a much-loved recreational space for so many and has been given the Green Flag Award for four years running – the only windfarm to receive the accolade. We’re proud of the impact it has made and look forward to continuing to lead the way in onshore renewables.”
MP for East Renfrewshire, Blair McDougal added, “Whitelee is a shining example of how renewable energy can benefit both the environment and the community. Like so many families in East Ren, my own have so many happy memories of days spent out in the countryside at Whitelee. Here’s to the next million visitors!”
Simon Beattie, Visitor Centre Manager at Whitelee, said: “We’ve welcomed people of all ages and from all over the world to Whitelee Visitor Centre over the last 15 years. It’s a pleasure to offer visitors a little insight into the windfarm , and to share more with them about renewables, the wider energy sector and to inspire future generations with STEM learning and more.”
Supported by Glasgow Science Centre and East Renfrewshire Council, Whitelee Visitor Centre hosts a variety of events and activities throughout the year, including an education programme for students from primary school through to university, with over 62,000 participants to date.
There are also two full-time Countryside Rangers based at the windfarm as part of the Whitelee Access Project – a partnership with the three local authorities across the windfarm, SPR, Forestry and Land Scotland and community representatives. Their roles are supported via the Whitelee Community Benefit Fund, which has shared £17.5 million to date.
The windfarm boasts 130km of trails, which are enjoyed by walkers, cyclists, horse riders and runners and has become the exclusive venue for Run the Blades - one of the UK’s largest trail running events.
As Whitelee continues to serve as an ecology research hub, with projects like peatland restoration and the BIOSCAN project, it remains committed to providing a positive environmental legacy by supporting and nurturing the natural environment in and around the windfarm. The centre’s ongoing efforts ensure that it will continue to inspire and educate future generations about the importance of renewable energy and environmental conservation. It will always be more than a windfarm.