Hundreds protest Scotland's datacentre boom, demanding pause on 20+ proposed projects
nordicinst · x · 2026-09-04
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Holyrood in Edinburgh calling for an immediate moratorium on Scotland's datacentre buildout, which includes at least 20 proposed projects — one in Auchtertool, Fife, billed as the second largest in the world.
The campaign is led by Kat Jones, director of Action to Protect Rural Scotland, who wants a pause until the Scottish government completes environmental impact analysis and clarifies planning guidance on what counts as a "green" datacentre. First Minister John Swinney's programme for government promised a strategic approach with expectations around environmental sustainability, resource use and community benefit, but stopped short of a moratorium — which campaigners say is not enough.
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