The three-day inquiry will determine whether the Argyll Windfarms Limited project will receive the go-ahead from the Scottish government after Argyll and Bute Council failed to grant the project planning permission back in 2007.
The first day foc
used on the landscape and visual impact the turbines, each a hundred metres high, would have on the surrounding area.
Dutch landscape expert Marc van Grieken was the first witness to appear before the inquiry, presided by government reporter Karen Heywood.
"In my professional opinion there will be significant local effects," he told the inquiry, "but it doesn't affect the whole of the landscape character."
His opinion was the windfarm would not alter the landscape's key characteristics and it's visual impact for Bute residents was considered to be only moderate.
When quizzed on it's visual impact for passengers on the Wemyss Bay - Rothesay ferry route, he said "you will see it on part of the journey, but there is a wide 360 degree panorama.
"I don't think it has a wide impact during the journey considering the views on offer."
Although Ms Heywood stressed the inquiry was completely separate from the hearing in January into a proposed wind farm on neighbouring Corlarach, the issue of the "cumulative effect" they would both have on the landscape was often mentioned.
"If both Corlarach Hill and Black Craig are built, it will change the outlook of the Cowal peninsula," van Grieken admitted.
The next witness was Mike Woods, the council's independent landscape expert, who had also produced a report against Corlarach Hill.
"The prominence of the windfarm coincides with a key view up Loch Striven and the Kyles of Bute and a major contributor to the attraction of the travel experience on this ferry," he said during his opening statement.
"The development would have significant impacts on views coinciding with important tourism centres and routes on Bute, the Firth of Clyde, and the Inverclyde/Ayrshire Coast."
The solicitor for the appellant, Marcus Trinick, was keen to analyse the methods used by Mr Woods during his cross-examination.
He accused him of not going to visit specific viewpoints that been brought up during his evidence when he made his assessment.
"When is there any evidence that you have put theoretical visibility into actual fieldwork evidence?," he asked.
"I reiterate that the character of a landscape goes through the visual sense," said Woods.
"You equated theoritical visibility to visual impact," continued Trinick,"but you can't tell us that because you haven't done the work?"
"That is just oversimplifying it," answered Woods.
The inquiry continues until Thursday.
