And the same number again have been sent to Ian Marchant, the company's chief executive, urging him to rethink plans to route the huge turbines and blades along the A9 through the villages of Golspie and Brora.

The letters form the backbone of a vociferous campaign by local residents to pressurise planners and SSE into taking the equipment via the turn-off at Drummuie, just south of Golspie, and along the road to Kilbraur wind farm. The track could then be extended to take the vehicles, some of which have 10 axles, on to Gordonbush.

Outrage was expressed at last week's meeting of Golspie Community Council, and at this week's meeting of Brora Community Council, about SSE's sudden decision to access the 35-turbine wind farm by taking traffic through the centre of both villages.

The bombshell galvanised residents into organising a resistance movement, starting with photocopying the three separate letters for people to send with their own signatures.

So far, 150 people in Brora and Golspie have requested copies, and the protagonists are confident many more will be sent out before the deadline for objections to the Old School House planning application next Friday, September 26. Val Scott of Main Street, Golspie, one of the main campaign organisers, has also produced scores of posters saying "No" for residents to display in their windows. She told the NT: "My house has been full all week with folk picking up posters and letters. I have never known such a depth of feeling. We have a fight on."

Golspie and Brora Community Councils have agreed to organise a public meeting.

At Tuesday evening's meeting of Brora Community Council, it was said that if anything happened to block the A9 at the Brora bridge, the area north of it would be cut off from the emergency services.

Some people said big lorries already cross the Brora bridge, but it was pointed out that the wind farm traffic would be much wider as well as longer.

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