WELL OVER 10,000 letters of objection are set to be lodged as communities step up the increasingly bitter fight against construction of the Beauly to Denny power line.

Numerous protest groups were hastily set up to oppose Scottish and Southern Energy’s plans for the massive pylons.

Representatives, including some from Perthshire, will join forces in Glasgow today to express their concerns.

“Monday is the last day on which objections may be lodged against the Beauly to Denny transmission upgrade,” explained a spokes-man for the campaign.

“Representatives of communities along the proposed line of mega pylons will be handing in barrow-loads of letters directly to the Scottish Consents Unit.

“The current estimate is that well in excess of 10,000 objections will be delivered.”

Under the umbrella Scotland Before Pylons, representatives from various groups are set to attend.

They include Stirling Before Pylons, the Braco campaign, The Sma’ Glen Community, Cairngorm Revolt Against Pylons, Communities Against Pylons, Pylon Pressure, Beauly, Kiltarlity and Kirkhill Community Councils and Highlands Before Pylons.

The spokesman said there were many reasons to protest.

“For a start there has been no strategic environmental review for the upgrade of the national grid, one of the biggest engineering projects in British history,” he said.

“Further research is necessary into alternatives to the planned overhead line, such as sub-sea cables transmitting power down the east and west coasts, or the burying of the line underground using advanced cable technology.

“In addition overhead high voltage transmission lines carry a potential health risk,” the spokesman continued.

“They kill birds, diminish the grandeur of the Scottish countryside, make the Highlands less attractive to tourists, threaten property values, and will make the area pay an unacceptable social and economic price for supplying power to central Scotland and England.”

Residents of the conservation village of Muthill in Perthshire fear the construction of huge pylons with have a devastating effect on their community.

“The residents of Muthill and the surrounding area overwhelmingly object on the grounds of degradation of the landscape, adverse effect on tourism, negative effect on businesses, and proven health hazards,” explained one local.

The letters of objection will include more than 320 from Muthill.

Clan chief Lord Lovat joined around 400 people on a protest march against the march in the Highlands on Saturday.

Lord Lovat (28) has supported the group Pylon Pressure to campaign for at least parts of the electricity transmission line to be buried.

The 18th chief of the Lovat Frasers revealed he missed a friend’s stag weekend to take part in the march, at Balblair and Beauly.

Lord Lovat said, “This is of great interest to the local communities.

“It is the first chance to have their say.

“If one line goes ahead another three or four from the north, east and west could follow, all coming through Beauly.”