The benchmark for the management of recreational outdoor spaces throughout the world, the Green Flag Award recognises well managed green spaces that meet the needs of the communities they serve.
Whitelee – which welcomes around 250,000 walkers, runners, cyclists, and horse riders every year – received the award for its work with the Whitelee Countryside Ranger Service to provide a positive environmental legacy by enhancing ecological habitats for native bird species and restoring natural peatland.
Primary 7 pupils from Saint Sophia's Primary School in Galston, East Ayrshire helped celebrate the Green Flag Award and are among some 50,000 young people who have visited Whitelee to learn about renewable energy in the Visitor Centre, managed by trained staff members from the Glasgow Science Centre.
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They also enjoyed a tour on the windfarm's dedicated electric bus, giving them a chance to get up close to some of its 215 wind turbines, which produce enough green electricity to power more than 350,000 homes.
During the tour, they learned about the plans to establish Whitelee as the UK's flagship 'hybrid' energy park, with the addition of solar panels, battery storage and green hydrogen to the site – meaning it can continue to provide clean energy even when the wind isn't blowing.
Barry Carruthers, Managing Director for Onshore Wind UK & Ireland at ScottishPower Renewables said: "Whitelee is a vital part of Scotland's and the UK's transition to a clean energy future. These turbines, combined with future projects involving solar, batteries and green hydrogen, will ensure we deliver even more homegrown green electricity across the country and drive our progress towards Net Zero.
"However, Whitelee is also a much-loved green space for everyone, from newborn babies in prams to older people who pop along for their daily constitutional and it's great to see the Green Flag flying high in celebration of our team who run the site and the hard work which goes into running the UK's largest onshore windfarm."
