SAY NO TO THE FLOW.

Protect the Moray Firth from the FLOW Park proposal.

The Moray Firth is one of Scotland’s most beautiful and wildlife-rich coastlines. It is currently at risk of being turned into a huge industrial “wet-storage park” for floating wind turbines - right off the shores of Findhorn, Burghead and possibly Nairn in the future.

This project is being sold as part of Scotland’s clean-energy future. But it’s the first of its kind, which means the economic value cannot be properly quantified, the risks are unknown, and the costs will mostly fall on local people, businesses and nature, and not the developers.

We all support Scotland’s goal of net zero and a just transition, but this is neither just nor fair.

What is the Moray FLOW Park proposal?
what will it look like v.final.jpg

A company called Offshore Solutions Group (OSG) has been given rights by Crown Estate Scotland to explore building a massive new marine facility in the Moray Firth, just off the coast between Findhorn and Burghead.

It’s called the Moray FLOW Park, short for Floating Offshore Wind Park. It isn’t a wind farm, it’s a storage and anchorage site where enormous floating wind turbine bases would be held temporarily before being towed to offshore wind farms.

The plan was to initially build a second facility in Nairn. Although this was recently descoped, it is very possible that Nairn could be rescoped later, once the site at Findhorn has been established and the community has quietened down. This is commonly known as "mission creep".

The picture above shows you what the initial proposal would look like from Nairn beach. Similar set-ups have been planned in Findhorn/Burghead.

Key Facts

  • Status: Crown Estate Scotland has granted OSG a 2-year exclusivity agreement to study the site and commence the planning process.
  • Construction target: OSG hopes to begin construction around 2027, though no planning or marine licence has yet been approved.
  • Use: Hundreds of large floating foundations, each weighing up to 10,000 tonnes, could be moored on the seabed for months at a time.
  • Lifespan: The planned operational lifespan of the project is 20+ years.
How this could affect you
It's more than a body of water - it's part of our community identity.

🏡 If You Live Locally

  • Visual impact: The park would sit near the shore, with large floating platforms and service vessels visible from beaches and coastal paths.
  • Noise and light: Construction and ongoing maintenance could bring vessel traffic, night lighting and noise to previously quiet stretches of coast.
  • Property and amenity: Changes to the coastal view and environment will reduce property desirability and the peaceful character of the shoreline.
  • Access restrictions: Parts of the near-shore area may become off-limits for safety, reducing swimming, sailing and paddling zones. A 500-metre "safety zone" would also be implemented around the site when the turbines are being moved, rendering large parts of the sea unusable.

🐬 If You Care About Wildlife

  • The proposed site lies close to the Culbin Sands RSPB Reserve and within the Moray Firth Special Protection Area, home to dolphins, seals, porpoises and migratory birds. There are many other special designations this area has been given to protect its wonderful nature, the objectives of which would be directly contravened by this project.
  • Anchoring the heavy structures could damage seabed habitats, disturb feeding grounds and alter marine behaviour through noise and vibration.
  • Increased vessel activity raises risks of oil leaks, collisions and waste discharge.
  • 140+ chains or ropes will be permanently installed in each area which may obstruct safe passage and migratory routes of our local sealife.
  • Once industrialised, these waters will likely never fully recover to their natural state.

🎣 If You Work on the Water

  • Fishing grounds used by local creel, trawl and net fishers could be lost or restricted.
  • Mooring chains and anchors on the seabed could disturb sediment and make future fishing unsafe.
  • There is no compensation framework yet in place for fishers or marine users who lose access.
  • Small harbours may experience crowding from survey and service vessels.

🏖️ If You Rely on Tourism

  • The Moray Firth’s reputation for unspoiled natural beauty is central to the area’s visitor economy, from dolphin watching and sailing to walking and wild-swimming.
  • Industrialisation this close to shore could damage that image, discouraging visitors and affecting hotels, cafés and small businesses.
  • The tourist economy in Nairn alone is worth c.£56 million per year. The tourism economy of Nairn and Findhorn are the lifeblood of our town economies and may be decimated if the area's local beauty is destroyed.
  • Jobs promised by the developer may be short-term or located elsewhere, leaving locals to carry the long-term costs.

🌍 If You Care About a Fair Transition

We all want Scotland to reach net zero, but a just transition means the benefits must be shared fairly and not cause damage to local communities and economies.

In similar “wet-storage” proposals elsewhere, most economic gains flowed to national contractors, not local communities.

This project risks repeating that pattern. Local risk, dispersed reward.

Your voice matters. The decisions being made now will shape the Moray Firth for decades to come.