HANDS OFF: Protestors make their feelings known towards the AI data centre plans at Hunterston (Image: Action to Protect Rural Scotland)
Protesters have made their feelings clear towards plans for an Artificial Intelligence data centre in North Ayrshire, on the site of one of Scotland’s oldest castles.
The proposals for the “hyperscale” multiple buildings complex by Eneus Energy, spanning approximately 88 hectares, at Hunterston Castle Estate have sparked strong local and worldwide objections .
Features such as two substations, drainage systems, and access roads have been included in the development near the existing power station and 900-year-old castle on the coastal location.
Opposition to the plans protested at the annual Clan Hunter Gathering on 26 July, a tradition dating back to the 12th century through Norman ancestry, welcoming people from the likes of North America, Canada, and the Netherlands.
HISTORIC: Under threat Hunterston Castle dates back to the 1300s (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
Local resident and protest organiser Laura Roberts assured this coming together was a means of raising awareness of a threat to a “special place”.
She said: “Unbelievably, Hunterston Estate are planning to build a huge AI data centre right on the doorstep of the castle; the boundary is only 50m away. We are calling on the members of Clan Hunter to rise in defence of this castle.
“Our protest sends a clear message to North Ayrshire Council, Eneus and the Hunterston Estate: we will not stand and watch nearly 84 hectares of our precious coastal and agricultural land be turned into a towering industrial complex.
“We are standing up to protect our heritage, our environment, and our community’s future.”
More local residents echoed Roberts’ concerns with regards to archaeological potential in the area with nearby West Kilbride and Fairlie citing existing industrial pollution.
The plans for the facilities were first submitted in February with an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) still to be determined by North Ayrshire Council.
Eneus Energy believes the new centre will be “designed suitably” with the potential of creating of numerous construction and operational jobs despite the opposition.
Hunterston Castle has been in the hands of the Clan Hunter since around the 1300s and was a key fortress in defending the region from Viking invasion.
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