11 - What height will the towers be?

The height of the new towers will range from 42 metres to 65 metres, depending on the topography and the altitude. Almost 80% will be lower than 57 metres. The height of the towers on the existing line ranges from 25 metres to 41 metres.

Amongst other things, the towers need to be high enough to maintain the statutory electrical safety clearance to ground for 400kV lines of 7.6 metres and a minimum distance between conductors to ensure adequate separation.

Overall, the towers are similar in height and dimensions to those supporting the Dunbar to Kaimes transmission line in East Lothian. The tallest towers in Scotland are close to the River Forth and are over 130 metres high to take account of the river crossing.