ScottishPower Renewables has thanked residents on Islay, Jura, Colonsay, the Ross of Mull and Iona following the second statutory consultation on its proposed MachairWind offshore windfarm.

The developer said insights gathered from October and November engagements will inform the next stage of the project.

The latest consultation, held from 20 October to 30 November after an earlier round this year, focused on the windfarm area north-west of Islay and west of Colonsay. The development zone has been reduced by more than 40% — from 754km² to 448km² — in response to feedback from the first public consultation and other considerations, including engineering.

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MachairWind is expected to have a capacity of around 2GW of clean electricity — enough to power two million homes — and aims to deliver benefits for host communities, Argyll and Bute, and the wider West of Scotland region.

Kiera Wilson, Development Lead for MachairWind, said: "We're extremely grateful to everyone who took the time to attend our events, ask questions, and share their views. Your feedback is invaluable and will help us shape our plans for the project.

"You can view everything we've learned from the consultations in our pre-application consultation report, which will be submitted as part of our consent applications next year."