The move could delay the project by months or even put it back to square one if planners decide a fresh planning application is needed, rather than merely an amendment to existing consent.

And it is also bound to cause additional difficulty locally for the embattled power company which is already fighting on various fronts over the project.

Local communities are furious about the choice of the A9 and the Strath Brora road as the access route for construction traffic.

Animal welfare activists and neighbouring estate managers are angry over a planned deer cull on the estate.

And Clyne crofters are also understood to still be "in discussion" over a habitat management plan required by Scottish Natural Heritage to be put in place on estate land – including common grazings – in order for the wind farm to go ahead.

The Scottish Executive originally gave planning consent for 35 turbines measuring 107 metres in height on hill ground at Gordonbush Estate.

The wind farm is the first to be given the go-ahead within one kilometre of a Special Protection Area.

The estate is owned by the Tyser family, who no longer live there permanently, and stand to gain millions from the development.

Highland Council principal planner Ken McCorquodale has been approached by SSE about the larger turbines.

He confirmed in an e-mail to an interested party: "You may be aware that SSE have requested an amendment to their plans to increase the hub height (turbine towers) by two metres and the blades by one metre."

Mr McCorquodale, who was on holiday this week and unavailable for comment, explained that the reason for the SSE request was that they were having problems finding the size of turbines they originally wanted.

He stated: "This is because they are having difficulties in securing the purchase of this technology – with manufacturing having moved to bigger and larger wind turbines."

And he goes on: "Scottish Government have advised SSE that they may need to resubmit their application afresh if they wish to amend their plans. We are awaiting SSE's response."

The NT yesterday (Thursday) contacted the Scottish Executive's Energy Consents Unit for comment. As the Gordonbush development is above 50MW in capacity, it needed to be approved by the government rather than the local authority.

Spokesman Michael Berry said: "All we can say at this stage is that we are in touch with SSE regarding the size of the turbines for the consented Gordonbush wind farm."

The transport of larger turbine parts is set to add fuel to the fire already raging about the choice of the A9 as the access route rather than an alternative route via Kilbraur.

Brora and Golspie community councils are due to discuss the issue with SSE representatives and Gordonbush project manager Chris Marden at a meeting next week which will be chaired by East Sutherland and Edderton ward councillor Ian Ross. Principal planner Mr McCorquodale has also been asked to attend.

But the decision not to make that meeting open to the public but to restrict it to community councillors only has also caused controversy.

A Brora resident said: "I just think that we should all have the opportunity to discuss with them what is going on. I have a few questions that I would like to put to them direct, but I'm not getting the chance to do so.

"OK, the community councillor could put the question for me, but I won't be there to hear the reply and discuss it the way I want to."

Meanwhile, plans to carry out a massive deer cull as part of the habitat management plan for Gordonbush are to be discussed at a meeting later this month of East Sutherland Deer Management Group.

Neighbouring estate managers are concerned that the slaughter will create a land vacuum, drawing deer from other estates into Gordonbush.

One said: "There are going to be some serious questions asked at this meeting. Whoever put forward this habitat management plan is going to be asked why they are going to such extremes. What is wrong with the Gordonbush habitat at the moment? Why do 600 hinds need to be killed?"

carolinem@northern-times.co.uk

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