Scottish Arts and environmental groups seem to have gone overboard on environmental art. The latest example is a
three-kilometre route to a remote nature reserve on the Isle of Skye which is being lit up at nightfall to create a strenuous mixture of music, climbing and environmental art.
Created by environmental artist Angus Farquhar, the project has cost more than a million pounds to set up and involves over 50 guides and technicians to help people up the dark and treacherous path.
Many of the local plants in this fragile habitat are rare, protected and easily damaged, so much fuss and expense was incurred airlifting each lamp and stone by helicopter to agreed locations.
However, such a project clearly has an environmental impact; that is the nature of environmental art. In this case, the local midge population has been exterminated, presumably an ecological sacrifice for the comfort of visitors and additionally it is well known that light pollution interferes with many biological processes.
