The Scottish Government has granted planning permission for a 39MW wind farm on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park but rejected plans for a much larger wind project in the same area.

Ministers rubber-stamped plans for a wind farm at Tom Nan Clach, north-east Tomatin, to be developed by Nanclach Ltd. The farm is capable of holding 17 turbines and should power the equivalent of more than 18,000 homes in the area.

But a proposal for a 102MW, 26-turbine (reduced from 34 after several revisions) site at Balnespick Estate in Glenkirk from developers Eurus Energy UK Limited was rejected, with John Swinney, Scotland's Finance Secretary, saying the farm's impact on the surrounding landscape would be "too high".

Mr Swinney said the Tom Nan Clach wind farm would create jobs during both its construction phase and over the course of its lifecycle.

"Wind farms, like Tom Nan Clach, will help us achieve our 500MW target which could be worth up to £2.4 billion to Scottish communities and rural businesses over the lifetime of those projects," he said.

"And with more than 600MW at different stages of development and planning, the future for community and locally owned energy across Scotland looks brighter than ever."

But Mr Swinney ruled that the Glenkirk wind farm would have a detrimental impact on nearby wild land and key landscape characteristics.

"The Scottish Government wants to see the right developments in the right places and Scottish planning policy is clear that the design and location of any wind farm should reflect the scale and character of the landscape and should be considered environmentally acceptable," the minister said.

The Tom Nan Clach wind farm is a joint venture between Infinergy and Cawdor Estate. Infinergy's managing director, Esbjorn Wilmar, said the company was "delighted" with the decision.

"The site has outstanding wind speeds, similar to offshore wind farms, so we expect to see very good yields generated," he added.

Andrew Hamilton, partner in Strutt & Parker's Inverness office, said: "The two different decisions made by the Scottish Government show that the planning system is working well with different outcomes for two wind farm proposals. Each site has to be considered on its own merits and, in each case, many variables have to be considered.

"This is far more constructive than a blanket ban in certain geographical areas."