We wanted to wish a very Merry Christmas to you and your families and also to say an enormous THANK YOU. This is for each and every one of you who has supported this crowdfunder. It is truly humbling to know that you are all behind us in this fight and it is a fight we must win. The future existence of the Scottish wildcat is at stake but we are confident that with your help we can save it. 

Our whole team is exhausted but happy with the progress we have made. We are going to rest for few days as we hope you all do too and we will be in touch soon, with the plans and milestones for the year ahead. It is going to be crucial one.

Once again we really appreciate your support, you have been a real inspiration and motivation to us all.

Have a wonderful and peaceful Christmas

The Wildcat Haven Team

We are working flat out to meet a deadline today, to deliver the latest batch of written submissions to the Inquiry. It’s going well, our team of legal, ecological and wildcat specialists are all working together. To really show you the importance of what is at stake, we want to show you a video taken by our Director, Dr Paul O’Donoghue. It is from a recent visit to the site of the first windfarm built in the Clashindarroch forest, in 2015. This was before we began our work here. 

As you will see, this was not a case of just popping windmills into forest gaps. It was not done sensitively, it was simply the destruction of an enormous area of forest which would have devastated wildcat territories. It was utterly depressing to see a moonscape, an ecological desert, that even after 6 years looks like a huge scar on the landscape and is clearly not a useable space for wildlife. It is also serviced by a small army of people who all have to drive through the forest and they even have permanent bases where they can stay overnight. Basically what was once thick forest and prime wildcat habitat, is now an industrialised landscape. You can see the video here:

https://www.wildcathaven.com/news

Like all of you who support us, we are passionate about reducing climate change and committed to sustainable living. We have stated numerous times before and as our Director states again here, we are pro renewable energy. However this cannot be at all costs, it cannot be reckless or without thought. It certainly cannot be at the expense of the future survival of an entire species, an iconic Scottish animal that epitomises the wild. It has to be the right development at the right place.  There are literally hundreds of bare hills in Scotland that provide far more suitable sites for a windfarm than the Clashindarroch forest. The risks are just too great. As you will see by the video, the stakes are high, as safeguarding the safety of the most important wildcat population in existence, depends on the success of our campaign. We cannot fail and so if you want to support our legal challenge please visit:

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/wildcats/

Many thanks as always 

The Wildcat Haven Team

As promised, here is an update about the Pre inquiry meeting we had last week. We are on track and have met all deadlines to date. This includes the lodging of written submissions, which detail the objections we have, the legislative frameworks and case law we will rely on, as well as the concerns we have about the Environmental Impact assessment (EIA) carried out by Vattenfall, regarding wildcats. Their efforts on the EIA in this area are truly woeful. The meeting has also now given us the opportunity to submit further technical points and to expand on our areas of concern. We welcome this opportunity and this is the focus for our legal and ecological advisors this week.

You can see the Written submissions document at the link below. Just click on the link and then click the ‘open document’ tab and you will see it. This is a 40 page document and is now on the record and will be considered by the Inquiry. It is a comprehensive body of work and it’s important to us, to show you exactly what the funds you have donated to us are used for. This is very serious stuff.

https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/Document.aspx?id=811505

As we move through this process, it is becoming clearer and clearer that Vattenfall and their representatives will use every dirty trick in the book, to try and push through this development. Whilst they have provided us with some data ( after a 2 year delay ), the dataset is heavily redacted and for example, does not show any accurate location data. This of course prevents full scrutiny which is exactly what Vattenfall are trying to do. They are trying to make us sign a Non Disclosure Agreement before they release the full data set. This may at first seem reasonable, until you discover that they are only willing to release the data, with the condition that our main Wildcat Biologist can’t have access to it. You couldn’t make it up. They really are shameless and they even tried to influence the Inquiry that the delay in releasing data was due to us not signing the NDA. Rest assured, we put the record straight that the NDA proposed by Vattenfall in its current form is beyond ridiculous and just another attempt to delay, withhold data and avoid scrutiny by a Wildcat expert.

It is clear that Vattenfall, a company owned entirely by the Swedish Government are treating the Scottish wildcat with utter contempt and disrespect. However, with ever dirty trick, with every attempt to manipulate the Inquiry, our resolve grows and our determination increases. It has to, as this is a fight to save the Scottish wildcat from extinction in the wild.

We will see this through to the bitter end and continue to work flatout to save the Clashindarroch and it’s precious wildcats. You are so grateful for your help so far. If you want to continue supporting our work you can do so at: 

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/wildcats/

We will publish our further technical submissions in due course.

Many thanks as always

The Wildcat Haven Team

We have a very big week ahead as we move through the process for the Public Inquiry about the Clashindarroch windfarm. This Wednesday afternoon our team will attend a second procedural meeting for the public inquiry, in preparation for the February sessions.

The purpose of tomorrow’s meeting is to check parties are on track to present their evidence to the Reporter in Feb sessions. You will be aware that last week we lodged written submission providing detailed overview and explanation of legal and ecological concerns. The headline points we made were as follows:

1. The Clashindarroch forest contains the highest density of wildcats anywhere in Scotland.

2. The proposed windfarm development will be devastating for this population and directly threaten 20% of the remaining world population.

3. The Clashindarroch forest is of National and International importance and should be protected.

At every stage of this process, Vattenfall, a company owned solely by the Swedish Government, have attempted to deflect away from the wildcat concerns. They have withheld crucial data in order to minimise scrutiny, and they have delayed the release of data to try and limit our preparations. It is abundantly clear that they don’t want an inquiry session about wildcats. 

However, despite all their dirty tactics, we are completely on track and fully prepared for what lies ahead. We will ensure that yours and our grave concerns are heard, and that crucially, the wildcats get a voice.

As we always do we will keep you fully updated. If you want to continue supporting our legal campaign to save the Clashindarroch Wildcats, then you can do so at;

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/wildcats/

Many thanks as always, we can’t win this without you, 

This is a very important time for us all. Today we will be lodging our written submissions for the public Inquiry about the windfarm, due to take place in late February 2022. This submission will form the basis of our objections.

As we have informed you, it was crucial to our preparations that we received access to the Confidential annexes held by Vattenfall, the company who are solely owned by the Swedish government, who are putting forward the windfarm proposal. We had tried to get the information for 18 months and they only released it to us after they were forced to and they did so at the 11th hour. This was clearly because they knew how damaging the data held within these annexes would be and it was a delaying tactic, to hinder our preparations for this case. Well we have worked tirelessly since receiving these annexes and have put together what we believe to be an extremely compelling case for the wildcat, that is founded in empirical data, scientific references, and case law.  

We are extremely lucky to work with exceptional ecologists who are highly experienced in this field and they have been scrutinising and analysing the data contained in the annexes. The findings are unambiguous and remarkable. As Wildcat Haven has stated all along, the Clashindarroch is the most important site for wildcats in Scotland. Well, the data has now confirmed this beyond any doubt and shows that the Clashindarroch contains the highest density of wildcats anywhere in Scotland. This makes the whole forest of National and indeed International importance. Secondly, we have been able to assess the impact that the proposed windfarm would have on this windfarm. The analysis demonstrates that 5 or 6 wildcat territories will be directly impacted by this windfarm. To put this in context, with estimates as low as 30 wildcats left in the wild, that amounts to up to 20% of the world population being threatened by this development. This doesn't include the other potential impacts on more wildcat territories through noise, disturbance and the displacement of animals. It is clearly not exaggerating to say that if this windfarm goes ahead, it could facilitate the extinction of the Scottish wildcat in the wild. 

The key point to make here is that Vattenfall, who claim to be a 'green' organisation, submitted their application with the full knowledge of the Scottish wildcat population they would be damaging. Indeed, they tried to conceal this information. The Forestry Commission Scotland, now called (FLS), who own the Clashindarroch and are actually partners on the government's so called 'Saving Wildcats' project, also had full access to this data and were happy to allow wildcat territories on their land be clear felled. The government organisation called 'Saving wildcats' (don't worry the irony of this name hasn't escaped us), have received millions of pounds in taxpayers' money and their remit is to apparently save the wildcats. Unbelievably, they actually collected the data held in the annexes, yet they stand by and not only refuse to object to this development, but they have been used as a cover for it, up until now. 

All this tells a sorry story of betrayal of the wildcat, by the very people who are paid by taxpayers to save it. When the time is right and this inquiry is over, rest assured that those individuals who have hidden behind government desks, telling lies, withholding information and standing by whilst the wildcat is put in danger, will all be held to account. This is vital to ensure that this situation never happens again.

For now of course, our sole focus remains on stopping this windfarm and the data speaks for itself. Surely the Scottish government cannot allow the development of a windfarm on a site that would devastate up to 20% of its most endangered and iconic animal- the magnificent Scottish wildcat.

We are in a strong position thanks only to your support, we simply could not afford to mount this legal challenge without you. If you feel you can contribute to our efforts, then please visit.

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/wildcats/

Please share the link above as widely as you can

Sincere thanks as always.

The Wildcat Haven Team and Finlay

First of all many thanks to all of our supporters so far, and a very warm welcome to those of you who are new to this case.  We are entering a crucial time and wanted to give you an overview of where we are up to and the next steps.

For context, the Scottish Wildcat is the rarest cat in the world with only 35 remaining. This makes it the rarest cat on earth and 70 times rarer than the giant panda. Wildcat Haven is the only group focussing solely on its survival in the wild. 

Very best wishes as always

The Wildcat Haven Team

Hi Everyone

First of all thank you so much for all your support and already enabling us to reach two thirds of out 100k target. As you have hopefully seen in our email updates, these funds are currently being used to hold Vattenfall to account in the upcoming Public Inquiry where we will hopefully be able to stop the planned windfarm.

As you will all be aware, COP26 is starting very soon and we hope to take this opportunity to highlight this case in the media.  We want to announce that our target has been hit and they we are able to challenge this development all the way to a Judicial Review if necessary. We are up against a massive company, Vattenfall, which is owned by the Swedish Government. They have extremely deep pockets and have employed the services of a large law firm and a senior QC to push this development through. 

With your continued support we can win this fight. We simply have to as the future of the magnificent Scottish Wildcat depends on it. We cannot allow their most significant forest home to be deforested and industrialised for a windfarm, that could easily be sited elsewhere (we are of course pro renewables as long as they are the right development in the right place). 

If you can donate to our ongoing legal challenge then we would be very grateful. Also please do share this link as widely as possible and let's give the Scottish wildcat the loudest voice we can.

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/wildcats/

Many thanks

The Wildcat Haven Team,