Scottish ministers approve Loch Long semi-closed salmon farm after appeal.
Scottish ministers have granted planning permission for Loch Long Salmon’s proposed semi-closed containment system (SCCS) farm at Beinn Reithe, Loch Long, overturning an earlier refusal by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority.
The decision, issued on 26 August, follows a protracted appeal process that began after the local authority rejected the company’s application in November 2022. The case was recalled to ministers in March 2023 and considered through written submissions, hearings and site inspections.
The project involves the installation of a marine fish farm with associated shore base, slipway, road upgrades and other infrastructure. The SCCS model is intended to reduce environmental impact by preventing escapes, capturing waste and limiting sea lice through water drawn from depth.
A government reporter had recommended refusal, citing landscape and woodland impacts and the scale of the onshore facilities. Ministers disagreed, concluding that the benefits of the novel technology outweighed policy conflicts, and that significant seascape and visual effects would be limited in extent by topography and woodland cover.
The decision letter accepts there will be the loss of around 0.6 hectares of plantation on ancient woodland sites, but found this was outweighed by the potential environmental and economic benefits. Conditions attached to the approval include requirements for a decommissioning plan, maximum biomass limits of 3,452 tonnes, compensatory tree planting, and monitoring of wild fish interactions.
The development is expected to support about 12 full-time jobs once operational.
The Beinn Reithe farm will be the first approval of a large-scale SCCS site in Scotland, marking a significant policy endorsement of closed-containment approaches as part of the government’s Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture.
