[11][12] The converter station at Kergord for the HVDC link to the Scottish mainland reached an initial stage of planning consent in early 2011, after several previous attempts starting 2009.

[13] In April 2012, the Scottish Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, Fergus Ewing, granted planning permission for a 103 wind turbine development, withholding consent on 24 turbines in Delting Parish due to potential interference with equipment at Scatsta Airport, and limiting maximum height to 145 m (476 ft).

[11] In September 2013, a ruling on an objection from Sustainable Shetland to the development held that the consent given under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 was incompetent because Viking Energy did not hold a licence under the 1989 Act, and that the Scottish Ministers had failed to have proper regard to their obligations under the Birds Directive [2009/147/EC] to the protected Whimbrel species.

[16] In July 2014, appeal judges at Edinburgh's Court of Session announced that there was insufficient reason to stop the wind farm and gave the project the go-ahead.

[18] Viking applied to get electricity price subsidies under the UK government's low carbon "Contracts for Difference" programme.

[20] In 2019, Viking Energy was unsuccessful in winning a CfD contract in the government auction held in September 2019, making the future of the windfarm uncertain.

[22] On 17 June 2020, the project sponsor, SSE Renewables, made a final investment decision to proceed with the Viking Wind Farm investment, conditional on certain industry code modifications, and "the outcome of the consultation on Ofgem's minded-to position to approve the transmission link, expected in July 2020".

[5][35] Initially proposed as a 150 turbine 600 MW project in 2009, the scheme had significant opposition, on grounds including effects on wildlife, and the general environment; part of the wind farm was also removed because of a potential interference with equipment at Scatsta Airport.