Power from the Glens Neart nan...
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Power from the Glens Neart nan Gleann
Transcript of Power from the Glens Neart nan...
Power from the GlensNeart nan Gleann
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This booklet is dedicatedto the memory of the ‘HydroBoys’ whose legacy is the largestsource of renewable energy inthe country.
Scottish and Southern Energy is one of the largest energycompanies in the United Kingdom. It is involved in thegeneration, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity;energy trading; the storage, distribution and supply of gas;electrical, environmental and utility contracting; domesticappliance retailing; and telecoms.
It is the leading generator of electricity from renewableresources in the UK, owning and operating around 40%of the country’s total capacity.
Contents
Foreword 1
Hydro electric schemes 2
How it all began 3
Working withthe power of nature 5
Hydro schemes
Shin 8
Conon 10
Affric/Beauly 12
Great Glen 14
Foyers 16
Tummel Valley 18
Breadalbane 20
Sloy/Awe 22
Renewable energyfor the 21st century 24
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Foreword Scottish and Southern Energyowns and operates around 40%of the United Kingdom'srenewable energy capacity.Most of this is hydro electricity,produced in the north of Scotlandby a highly effective region-widegenerating system which thispublication describes in detail.
Despite its century of controversialhistory, hydro power has providedthe technical means to give
the Highlands vital access tomodernity by harnessing ‘powerfrom the glens’. Half a millionpeople visit the Pitlochry Damand Fish Ladder each year: aresounding endorsement ofhydro power’s economic andenvironmental achievements.But as this booklet explains,hydro also has a cruciallyimportant future at theforefront of the battle to counterclimate change.
Emma Wood 2005
Emma Wood’s book The Hydro Boys’is published by Luath Press ISBN 1-84282-047-8.
Introduction Scottish Hydro Electric, thenknown as the North of ScotlandHydro Electric Board and nowpart of the Scottish and SouthernEnergy Group, was establishedby an Act of Parliament in 1943.It was to be responsible forgenerating, transmitting,distributing and supplyingelectricity throughout the northof Scotland, including theHighlands and Islands. This coversabout 25% of the total land areaof Britain but just 3% of thepopulation. The region containsBritain’s highest mountains andlargest inland lochs which,combined with high rainfall,make hydro electricity viable.
Hydro electricity is produced usingthe power of running water to turnthe turbines of generating sets inpower stations. The technologydates back to the late 19thCentury when the first privatelyowned hydro electric powerstations were built to power thealuminium smelting industry and
to provide local electricity supplies.But it took the vision of one man,Tom Johnston, the Secretary ofState for Scotland in Churchill'swartime coalition government, tobring power from the glens for thebenefit of all. At the time, it wasestimated that just one farm insix, and one croft in a hundred,had electricity. Today, virtuallyevery home in Scotland hasmains electricity.
Today, hydro electricity, togetherwith wind farms and emergingtechnologies such as wave andtidal power, is helping the countrymeet its commitment to provideincreasing amounts of energy fromrenewable sources. A majorrefurbishment programme ofScottish Hydro Electric’s hydrostations has ensured thesewonderful assets can produceclean electricity for the nationfor decades to come.
Shin
Conon
GreatGlen
Affric/Beauly
Foyers
TummelValley
BreadalbaneSloy/Awe
Inverness
NairnElgin
Peterhead
Aberdeen
Pitlochry
Kingussie
DundeePerth
Stirling
EdinburghGlasgow
Fort William
Oban
Clunie
Ullapool
Thurso
Wick
Dornoch
Scottish Hydro Electric Schemes
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Hydro electric schemesand catchment areas
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How it allbegan
The first successful public supplyof hydro electricity provided powerto the Benedictine Abbey in FortAugustus, at the west end of LochNess, and to 800 inhabitants of thevillage. The year was 1890. It wasto be another 40 years before thefirst large-scale scheme came intooperation, in 1930. This development,at Rannoch and Tummel Bridge inPerthshire, was built by the GrampianElectricity Supply Company.
Testament to the speed of changepossible in the shadow of the SecondWorld War, during the period between1941 and 1947, the newly-formedCouncil of State for Scotland hadconsidered the potential for hydroelectric development in the northof the country. An enquiry wasestablished into what developmentwas possible and what type of bodyshould undertake it.
The committee’s report waspublished in 1942 and the HydroElectric Development (Scotland) Actwas passed in 1943. The Actrecommended the creationof a board to manage hydrogeneration in the north, to be knownas the North of Scotland HydroElectric Board.
The first attempts to get approvalfor two schemes, Tummel/Garry andLoch Duntelchaig, were stronglyopposed and resulted in theresignation, in 1946, of the Board’sfirst chairman, Lord Airlie. So it wasunder the stewardship of the secondchairman, Tom Johnston, that mostof the construction of the Board’s firstscheme, at Sloy, near Loch Lomond,was done, with the station beingcommissioned in 1950.
In 1948, the Electricity SupplyIndustry in Britain was nationalised.The assets of the Grampian ElectricitySupply Company and other publicproducers in northern Scotland weretaken over by the North of ScotlandHydro Electric Board. Its challengewas to combine these existing assetswith new schemes which would bebuilt over the next 20 or so years,to harness the water power of theHighlands. These would provideelectricity to the northern part ofScotland on a scale which wouldotherwise have been impossible.
By 1965, 54 main power stations and78 dams had been built, providing atotal generating capacity of over1,000 megawatts. (A megawatt(MW) = 1,000,000 watts). Over 300kilometres of rock tunnel had beenexcavated and a similar length ofaqueducts and pipelines constructed.Over 32,000 kilometres of electricitynetwork was built to distribute theelectricity throughout the north ofScotland, with a further 110kilometres of submarine cable takingpower to the major Scottish islands.
All this work was achieved by aworkforce that averaged 4,500, andwhich, at its peak, numbered about12,000. In many cases, the workforcewas made up of a mixture of Britishworkmen and German and Italianformer prisoners of war. This provideda significant financial boost for thearea but was not always welcomedby local landowners, many of whomhad a vested interest in keeping theHighlands exactly as they had beenfor years before.
Surveying during construction at Pitlochry
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Then, as now, new developmentwas greeted with concern for theenvironment and amenity. Many fearedthat the construction of power stationsand dams would damage tourismwhich was already a major employerin Scotland. There was also concernthat if electricity was to become readilyavailable, industry would be attractedto the area, causing further damage totourism and the established way of life.
Lord Airlie, the first Chairman of theNorth of Scotland Hydro ElectricBoard, knew better when he said:“Do not let anybody think that theHighlands are going to becomerepopulated and revived by an influxof generating stations. This is whollyfalse. Industry on a heavy scale willnever come to the Highlands, becauseit is common sense that it is easier tobring current to industry than industryto the current.” This is still true today,as many of the renewable energyschemes developed in Scotland exporttheir output to meet demands in otherparts of Britain.
After the Second World War, menfrom all over Scotland came to workon the schemes, attracted by highwages. The highest wages wereearned by the men who dug thetunnels. Germans, Poles and Czechswere acknowledged to be skilledtunnellers. They became known asthe Tunnel Tigers because of theircavalier approach to safety in theirquest to earn the huge bonuses thatwere available. The lower regard forhealth and safety issues than thereis today inevitably led to high accidentrates and deaths amongst theworkers. No definitive accidentstatistics exist, but in one camp alone,which housed some 1,000 workersat its peak, there were 22 deaths injust one year.
For the vast majority of workers therewards were great. In the late 1940s,a Tunnel Tiger could expect to earn upto £35 a week, compared to £3 or £4for a Highland estate worker. Mostlythey lived in temporary work campsbuilt nearby the construction site.Not surprisingly, the sites looked likemilitary camps, sometimes housingup to 3,000 men.
They could be tough places to live,with food and accommodation ofvariable quality. Off duty, there waslittle for the workers to do but drink.
As a result, alcohol-fuelled fights werecommonplace, with local police beingcalled upon to restore the peace alltoo regularly.
By the 1960s, the face of theHighlands had changed forever. Newdams headed new, or larger, lochs.Rivers had been diverted throughaqueducts and underground tunnels,and power stations settled on loch-sides. Electricity lines on steel pylonsand wooden poles distributedelectricity to remote settlements andindividual crofts, bringing the powerfrom the glens into people’s homes.Life would never be the same again.
Today, what was once feared asa threat to tourism, now actuallyattracts visitors. The dam and fishladder at Pitlochry, a town which onceclosed its doors to North of ScotlandHydro Electric Board officials, is nowa major tourist attraction, visited eachyear by over 500,000 people from allover the world.
Temporary camps like these housed up to 3,000 workers
Clunie Arch -a memorial to some of themen who lost their livesbuilding the hydro schemes
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Working with the power of nature
Many major riversystems in the Highlands have long been
renowned as breeding grounds for salmon and trout. Asfar back as the 1943 Act of Parliament that established the
North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board, there was arequirement on the company to avoid, as far as
possible, injury to fisheries and the stock of fish.
When the power stations and dams wereconstructed during the second half of the last
century, great care was taken to minimisetheir environmental impact. As thestations have been refurbished,wherever possible, care has beentaken to ensure moderntechnology is employedto further reduce theenvironmentalimpact of thestations. Forexample,
measures aretaken to
reduce therisk of
oil
leaking into the water and in a fewparticular cases the profile ofthe turbine blades is more‘fish friendly’, allowing
safer passage forsmall fish
through themachines.
There is no doubt that the continuedproduction of hydro electricity is anessential part of the UK’s efforts tocounter the effects of global warming.Every unit of electricity produced fromrenewable energy is one less thatneeds to be produced from carbon-based fuels. Scottish Hydro Electric isthe UK’s largest producer of electricityfrom renewable sources, traditionallyfrom hydro electricity, but also fromwind energy and biomass - wastevegetable matter. In addition, thecompany is working with partnerorganisations, including TalismanEnergy, on the possible developmentof the world’s first deep-water off-shore wind farm, in the Moray Firth.Scottish Hydro Electric is also workingin partnership with The Weir Group toinvest in the development of a tidalgenerating device and withRenewable Devices Swift TurbinesLimited to promote small-scale windenergy schemes.
Whatever the technology, there is,and always has been, an expectationthat the wider environmental benefitof renewable energy must bebalanced against care of theimmediate environment directlyaffected by such development.
The salmon story
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Fundamental to helping preserve fishstocks is the need to maintain a flowof water in the rivers and streams thatfish have access to. In these rivers,carefully regulated water flow, knownas compensation water, is releaseddownstream from the dam to protectthe natural water environment. Thishelps the eggs hatch and the youngfish to feed and grow. It also assiststhe adult salmon and sea trout ascendthe river to their spawning grounds.
In some cases, such as at PitlochryDam and Power Station in Perthshire,the hydro electric infrastructure wouldhave created an impassable barrierto salmon unless some means ofallowing them to by-pass theobstruction was provided. Thesolution was to build fish passes.
There are two types of fish pass, thefish ladder and the fish lift, known asthe Borland lift.
At Pitlochry, the North of ScotlandHydro Electric Board installed a fishladder. This comprises a series ofpools which are connected byunderwater pipes. The ladder is310 metres long and has 34 pools,including three larger pools whichallow the fish to rest as they travelupstream. The rise between eachpool is 50 centimetres. Bar screensprevent large adult salmon fromentering the power station intakesand tailraces (where the water isdischarged back into the river afterit has been used to generateelectricity). The fish are attracted tothe fish ladder by the flow from asmall discharge of compensationwater near the ladder’s entrance.
From here they can swim throughthe pools from the river to LochFaskally behind the dam. There arethree exit points from the ladder sothe fish can enter the loch regardlessof the water level.
Aigas Dam on the River Beauly has anexample of a Borland lift. This type offish pass works on the same principleas a canal lock. Downstream of thedam, the fish are attracted by the flowof water into a pool at tailrace level.A sluice gate is closed at set intervalsand the water gradually fills the pooland a shaft which connects it to anupper pool. As the water level rises,the fish are lifted to the upper poolwhich is at the same level as thereservoir above.
Borland fish lift
Reservoir
Dam
Lower PoolTailrace
Sluice
Sluice
UpperPool
Fish Ladder
Borland Fish Lift
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In the early days, as the hydro electricinfrastructure was being developed,Scottish Hydro Electric establishedfish hatcheries at Contin, Invergarry,Pitlochry and Inverawe. DistrictSalmon Fisheries Boards co-operatedin the stripping of fish to obtain eggsand in the distribution of salmon fryto existing salmon rivers and to newtributaries never before stocked withsalmon. In addition, to offset the lossof some spawning grounds, work wasundertaken to improve waterfallswhich were previously impassable tosalmon on rivers such as the Lochayand the Bran, enabling fish to reachnew stretches of river with gravelssuitable for spawning.
Today, Scottish Hydro Electriccontinues to employ a leadingfisheries biologist, who works closelywith the District Salmon FisheriesBoards and other environmentalagencies to minimise the impact ofthe company’s hydro operations onthe local environment and to helppreserve the biodiversity of the area.
Visiting oursites
Scottish Hydro Electric welcomeswalkers and visitors to many of itssites which are, after all, set in someof Scotland’s most beautifulcountryside. Its visitor centre atPitlochry Power Station is open to thepublic between Easter and the endof October every year. Also atPitlochry, there is a viewing chamberwhich enables visitors to see salmonas they migrate up and down the fishpass. The site is one of the top tentourist attractions in Scotland.
On the pages that follow in thisbooklet we have selected one sitefrom each of our major hydroschemes which is easily accessibleand which you may want to visit.
Although the power stations are notopen to the public, they are set instunning surroundings and are wellworth a visit to see how we work withthe power of nature to produce clean,renewable energy.
The company’s hydro operations canmake rapid changes to the speed anddepth of water flowing downstreamfrom dams and weirs, without anyprior warning. Visitors are remindedto be careful when taking part inrecreational water activities such asfishing, canoeing and gorge walkingwhere such changes could beextremely dangerous.
In addition to the more obviousdangers of deep or fast-flowing water,there is an invisible danger associatedwith hydro electric installations – highvoltage electricity. The electricalequipment in our power stations andsubstations can operate at voltagesup to 275,000 volts. Whilst visitorsare welcome to our sites and to walkacross our dams where they are safelyaccessible to the public, we askeveryone to respect locked gatesand compounds, and to pay attentionto warning signs and notices. Byfollowing these simple rules, everyonecan continue to enjoy the benefitsof our open access policy.
Our advice to everyone is -please visit, but stay safe!
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Shin is the most northerly hydroelectric scheme on the mainland ofScotland and lies mostly in openmoorland. Loch Shin, by far the largestloch in this part of Scotland, is themain reservoir for the scheme whichalso makes use of the headwatersof the Rivers Cassley and Brora in acatchment area which extends toalmost 650 square kilometres. Thetotal installed capacity is smallcompared with other schemes butit is a very significant output in thisnorthern part of Scotland.
Water is collected from theheadwaters of the River Cassley bytwo aqueducts and diverted into aheadpond at Duchally, where it is usedto drive two small turbines in a tinypower station built into the Duchallyweir. This is a remote and inaccessiblearea and so the output of the turbinesis remotely controlled by the level ofthe water in the aqueducts withprovision for automatic shutdownduring periods of very low water.
From the Duchally headpond,compensation water is allowed to flowdown the River Cassley, the remainderis diverted by a 4 kilometres longtunnel to Cassley Power Station onthe western shore of Loch Shin.
The water level in Loch Shin wasraised about 11 metres by theconstruction of Lairg Dam and PowerStation. This concrete andembankment dam, which is 427metres long and 12 metres high, wasbuilt where the natural loch narrowed.
From Loch Shin, water is releasedthrough Lairg Power Station into asmaller reservoir immediately belowthe dam, known as Little Loch Shin,the level of which is regulated by theShin diversion weir. Compensationwater is released through the weirto maintain a minimum flow in theRiver Shin below the weir.
Most of the water from LittleLoch Shin is diverted through an8 kilometres tunnel to Shin PowerStation at Inveran. The tunnel feedingthe power station also collects waterfrom the River Grudie, a tributary ofthe River Shin.
After passing through the turbines thewater is discharged back into the RiverShin by means of an open channeltailrace. A fish screen across thetailrace outlet prevents salmon fromentering and helps to guide themupstream. Borland fish lifts at LairgDam and the Shin and Duchallydiversion weirs also assist the passageof salmon.
Shin
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Power Station
Aqueduct
Tunnel
Dam Lairg
Loch
Shin
93mCassley
R. Fiag
R. C
assley
Grudie Burn
R. Tirry
L. Fiag
LochMerkland
To Scourie
To Tongue
To Dornoch
To Ullapool
To Bonar Bridge
Loch a’ Ghriama
Shin
Gross Installed Average head* capacity annual output
(metres) (megawatts) (million units)
Cassley 113 10 26
Lairg 10 3.5 12
Shin 81 18.6 125
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* The ‘head’ is the difference in height between thewater supply feeding the power station and the turbines.
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The Conon Valley, one of the majorwest-east valley systems extendingacross Scotland, lies within the northwest Highlands and receives heavyrainfall throughout the year.Recognising the potential for thedevelopment of hydro electricity, theRoss-shire Electricity Supply Companybuilt a power station to make use ofthe Falls of Conon in the 1920s.
Today the water resources of theConon Valley are utilised as part ofa development including six majordams and seven power stations.Some of the water passing throughthis scheme is used up to three timesto generate electricity.
The first stage of the developmentwas the Fannich section. A series oftunnels and aqueducts were built toincrease the water flow into LochFannich. A spectacular event duringconstruction was the blowing out ofa large plug of rock from the side ofLoch Fannich, about 25 metres belowthe surface to complete a 6.5kilometres long tunnel to supply GrudieBridge Power Station. This becamepopularly known as “OperationBathplug”.
Dams were built at Loch Droma and inStrath Vaich, in the far north, to createhigh level reservoirs. Water from LochVaich and Loch Droma is fed into LochGlascarnoch, a large new loch formedin Glascarnoch Glen by the building ofGlascarnoch Dam. From Glascarnochan 8 kilometres tunnel carries water toMossford Power Station where itdischarges into Loch Luichart, a shortdistance below.
Loch Luichart also receives water fromGrudie Bridge Power Station and fromthe River Bran, which drains the areaaround Achnasheen.
Before reaching Loch Luichart, theRiver Bran passes through Loch aChuilinn, the water of which isregulated by a small barrage whichalso acts as a diversion weir to supplywater to Achanalt Power Stationimmediately below the barrage.Beside the power station at AchanaltFalls is an unusual fish pass whichis a combination of natural andartificial pools.
Some 8 kilometres to the south thewaters of the River Meig are held backby Meig Dam and the waters of thisreservoir are diverted into LochLuichart. From here, a tunnel carrieswater to Luichart Power Station.Further downstream is Torr AchiltyDam and Power Station. LochAchonachie formed by the buildingof the dam absorbs sudden increasesin the flow of the Conon.
From the surface of Loch Droma,270 metres above sea level in theupper part of the scheme, to thetailrace of Torr Achilty Power Station,there is a fall of 255 metres.
The Orrin section of the schemeharnesses the waters of the RiverOrrin above Loch Achonachie. Twodams separated by a small hill holdback the river to form Loch Orrin.From there water is diverted by tunneland pipeline to Orrin Power Stationon the southern shore of LochAchonachie in Strathconon. This watercan then be used again in the turbinesof Torr Achilty Power Station.
During the development of the Cononscheme a main line railway station andover 3 kilometres of railway track werereplaced and about 48 kilometres ofpublic and private roads were eitherconstructed or reconstructed.
Conon
Loch Glascarnochand Dam,(Ordnance SurveyLandranger Sheet20) to the north ofthe A835 Garve toUllapool Road, is setin stunning scenerya few miles from theAultguish Inn.10 miles west ofGlascarnoch on theA835 are the Falls ofMeasach set in theCorrieshallochGorge. The newCuileig Power whichis close by can bespotted by theobservant from theview point on theA832, 1 mile west ofBraemore Junction.
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Power Station
Aqueduct
Tunnel
Dam
To Ullapool
To Dingwall
To InvernessTo Kyle of Lochalsh
To PooleweAchnasheen
Garve
Loch Fannich 256m
Orrin Resr. 256m
L. Glascarnoch
252m
L. Luichart 88m
L. Vaich 256m
R. Vaich
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L. Garve
L. Meig87m
L. Achonachie 30m
River Orrin
R. Meig
R. Grudie
L. Achanalt 111m
River Bran
L. Droma 270m
L. a’Chroisg
Grudie Br.
Mossford
Achanalt
Orrin
Torr Achilty
Luichart
Gross Installed Average head capacity annual output
(metres) (megawatts) (million units)
Achanalt 20 3 7
Grudie Bridge 168 18.7 87
Mossford 161 18.6 121
Luichart 56 34 135
Orrin 222 18 80
Torr Achilty 16 15 42
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The eastern slopes of the westernHighlands are drained by the maintributaries of the River Beaulyimmediately to the south ofStrathconon. As early as 1918 thisarea was identified as one of the ninegreat sources of water power runningto waste in the Highlands, but it wasnot until 1947 that a plan to developthese resources was approved.
The Affric-Cannich section in the southwas the first part of the area to bedeveloped and was planned with greatcare to preserve the scenic beautyof Glen Affric in particular and alsoto reduce the severe flooding towhich Glen Affric and Strathglasswere prone.
The principal works comprised: a largedam, 727 metres long and 48 metreshigh, at Loch Mullardoch on the RiverCannich; a tunnel to divert water fromthis loch via an underground powerstation into Loch Beinn a Mheadhoin(Loch Benevean) on the River Affric;a smaller dam at Loch Benevean; andanother tunnel to the main generatingstation at Fasnakyle.
Benevean Dam, in Glen Affric, is asmall structure almost hidden in agorge about 3 kilometres below thenatural outlet of the loch. When thedam was built, the road by theriverside was submerged. This wasreplaced by a new road which windsaround the hillside in leisurely curves,offering superb views over the lochand surrounding area.
In order to conserve the outstandingscenic beauty of the area , the level ofLoch Benevean is not allowed to varygreatly and the level of Loch Affricremains largely unaffected by thehydro electric developments.
In the northern part of the scheme -Strathfarrar and Kilmorack - the maindam is at Loch Monar, an unusualdouble curvature concrete arch damwhich is one of the few examplesof this type in Britain.
A 9 kilometre tunnel carries waterto Deanie Power Station locatedunderground near the western endof Loch Beannacharan. LochBeannacharan was increased in sizewhen the Beannacharan Dam wasbuilt across the River Farrar a shortdistance below the natural outlet ofthe loch.
Below the Falls of Farrar is CulligranPower Station, which is undergroundand receives water from LochBeannacharan, by tunnel.
Below Culligran the Rivers Farrar andGlass join to form the River Beauly.The Cannich and the Affric are themain tributaries of the Glass and muchof its water has already been used togenerate hydro electricity furtherupstream in the power stations atMullardoch and Fasnakyle.
Downstream on the River Beaulythere are two gorges, at Aigas andKilmorack, each containing a dam intowhich a power station has been built.
The waters of the Affric/Beaulyscheme are recognised as importantfor salmon and compensation wateris released down all the main salmonrivers, the flow of which is kept aboveagreed levels. Borland fish lifts havebeen installed at Kilmorack, Aigas andBeannacharan.
Affric/Beauly
Benevean Dam(Ordnance SurveyLandranger Sheet25) is tuckedunobtrusively ina gorge within GlenAffric which is aForest EnterpriseNatural NativeReserve containingCaledonia pines andother native species.There are forestwalks at Dog Falls11/2 miles east ofthe dam and at LochAffric 7 miles westof the dam.
Monar Dam
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Power Station
Underground Power Station
Aqueduct
Tunnel
Dam
Cannich
Fasnakyle
Loch Mullardoch 249m
L. Monar 226m
L. Beannacharan 113m
Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin
224m
Loch Affric
Aigas
Kilmorack
Culligran
Deanie
Mullardoch
To Drumnadrochit
To Beauly
R. Affri
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R. Farrer
R. Beauly
R. G
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R. Cannich
44m
27m
Gross Installed Average head capacity annual output
(metres) (megawatts) (million units)
Mullardoch 27 2.4 8
Fasnakyle 159 69 254
Deanie 113 38 92
Culligran 60 19 59
Aigas 18 20 60
Kilmorack 17 20 58
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The Great Glen scheme lies along theshores of Loch Ness, and the area tothe west of Fort Augustus,incorporating Glenmoriston up to LochCluanie, and from Loch Garry, west toLoch Quoich. This is an area ofexceptionally heavy rainfall, on averagefour times greater than that on theeast coast of Scotland.
Loch Quoich, the main storagereservoir on the Garry developmentis held back at its eastern end by thelargest rockfill dam in Scotland - 320metres long, with a height of 38metres and a base width of 90metres. At the western end of theloch two dams prevent water spillingover the watershed and down towardsthe west coast.
Water is carried by tunnel from LochQuoich to Quoich Power Station onthe banks of the River Garry. Furtherdownstream, water collects in LochGarry which is held back by a damset into the narrow gorge at its outlet.From here, the water is carried bytunnel to Invergarry Power Stationnear the mouth of the River Garryon Loch Oich.
To the north, lies the River Moristonand its associated catchment area.There are two main upper reservoirsboth held back by dams, one at LochLoyne and one at Loch Cluanie. Blastfurnace slag was used for the firsttime in Britain in the constructionof Cluanie and Loyne Dams as asubstitute for 70% of the cementwhich would otherwise have beenneeded. Water is diverted from LochLoyne into Loch Cluanie via a tunnel.
The water is carried by tunnel andpressure shaft to Ceannacroc PowerStation which was one of the firstunderground power stations to bebuilt in Britain. The bare rock has beenleft exposed on the side wallsof the chamber which forms themachine hall.
Water from the upper reaches of theRiver Doe is delivered via a branchtunnel either directly to CeannacrocPower Station or to Loch Cluanie forstorage. Water is discharged fromthe power station back into the RiverMoriston.
Loch Dundreggan, which is held backby a small dam lies 15 kilometresdownstream. This dam has a smallgenerator which uses compensationwater, and a Borland Lift to assist thepassage of salmon.
The largest power station on this partof the scheme is Glenmoriston whichlies 90 metres underground directlybeneath Dundreggan Dam. Waterdrops down a vertical shaft into theturbines and discharges into LochNess.
North of Glenmoriston Power Stationa system of aqueducts collects waterfrom a number of streams whichwould otherwise flow into the RiverMoriston, downstream fromDundreggan. This is delivered toLivishie Power Station, anotherunderground facility, which dischargesinto Loch Dundreggan andsubsequently feeds GlenmoristonPower Station.
Great Glen
Quoich PowerStation and nearbydam (OrdnanceSurvey LandrangerSheet 33) are wortha visit. The dam isthe largest rockfilldam in Britain. Atthe west end ofLoch Quoich liesKnoidart one of thelast "wildernesses"in Britain.Approximately 9miles east of thepower station onthe A827 Kyle ofLochalsh road liesthe viewpoint fromwhich the famous"Map of Scotland"view of Loch Garrycan be seen.
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Power Station
Underground Power Station
Aqueduct
Tunnel
Dam
InvergarryQuoichInvergarry
L. Quoich 201mL. Garry 85m
Loch
Nes
s
L. Loyne
L. Cluanie 214m
To Kinoch Hourn
To Fort William
To Inverness
To Shiel Bridge
227m
L. L
ochy
R. Kingy
L. O
ich
R. Moriston
Cana
l
Fort Augustus
InvermoristonLivishie
Ceannacroc
GlenmoristonL. Dundreggan
110m
Gross Installed Average head capacity annual output
(metres) (megawatts) (million units)
Ceannacroc 90 20 87
Livishie 259 15 29
Glenmoriston 93 37 153
Quoich 101 18 87
Invergarry 53 20 78
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The Foyers catchment area was firstdeveloped for hydro electric powerin 1896, by the British AluminiumCompany. The plant, the first largescale commercial hydro electricdevelopment in Britain, was incontinuous operation until thealuminium smelter it served closedin 1971.
In 1974, the Foyers combined pumpedstorage and conventional hydroscheme began operating on theshores of Loch Ness. Pumped storageschemes use machine sets that aredesigned for dual purpose operation.
Water from the River E and the RiverFechlin is diverted via an aqueductinto Loch Mhor. When Foyers isgenerating, water is allowed to flowthrough tunnels from Loch Mhorthrough the turbines producingelectricity during times of peakdemand. At times of low demand,surplus electricity is drawn from thesystem and fed to the machine sets.These now operate in reverse, and thegenerators - acting as motors - drivethe turbines which now act as pumps.In this way water is pumped back upfrom Loch Ness into Loch Mhor readyfor the next generating requirement.
The tunnel system that connects tothe power station reduces in size from7.3 metres in diameter to 3 metreswide at the point where they reachthe turbine inlet valves. This narrowingof the pipes has the effect ofincreasing the pressure of the waterflowing through them.
In order to satisfy the technicalrequirement which dictated that thepump/turbine runners had to bepositioned a minimum of 35 metresbelow the water level of Loch Ness,the two machine sets are locatedat the bottom of shafts over50 metres deep.
Foyers can begin generating electricityfrom a standing start in under twominutes, but if conditions demand,the machines sets can be spun in airto act as “spinning reserve”. In thisway electricity can be supplied within30 seconds.
When generating at full load the twoturbines pass water into Loch Nessat the rate of 200 cubic metres persecond. When pumping at full powerthey can lift 167 cubic metres of waterper second from Loch Ness upthrough the tunnel system.
In 1973 when the water level in LochMhor was temporarily lowered toallow the construction of the uppercontrol works, a ‘crannog’, or artificialisland, often built and inhabited byprehistoric people was discovered.The details of this were recorded bythe consulting engineers before itsubmerged again when the waterreturned to its previous level.
Foyers
Foyers PowerStation (OrdnanceSurvey LandrangerSheet 26) is on theeast shore of LochNess. It is bestviewed from theopposite shorewhere there areplenty ofopportunities towalk or cycle alongthe beautiful GreatGlen Way. To thewest of the powerstation is theoriginal 1896aluminium smelterbuilding thathouses Foyers FallsPower Stationwhich uses theoriginal pipeline forthe smelter.
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Power Station
Aqueduct
Tunnel
Dam
Loch
Nes
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FoyersFoyers Falls
Loch Killin
Drumnadrochit
Foyers
Invermoriston
Fort Augustus
To Inverness
To Fort William
To Inverness
R. Fechlin
Aberchaider BurnRiver E
Gross Installed Average head capacity annual output
(metres) (megawatts) (million units)
Foyers 179 200 213
Pumped Storage
Foyers Falls 108 5 13
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The Tummel Valley catchment areaextends over 1,800 square kilometresof the Grampian Mountains andincludes some of the most ruggedand remote parts of the ScottishHighlands, much of which can remainsnow covered for several monthsof the year. The snowfields act as‘nature’s batteries’, storing wateruntil the snow melts.
The potential of this area for thedevelopment of hydro electricity wasrecognised at an early stage, when theGrampian Electricity Supply Companybuilt power stations at Rannoch andTummel in the 1930s. Today, thereare nine power stations within theTummel scheme.
In the north, the tiny Cuaich PowerStation collects water from the areasaround Loch an-t-Seilich, Loch Cuaichand the headwaters of the Spey.It discharges water into Loch Erichtvia an aqueduct. Loch Ericht PowerStation is on the eastern shore of theloch, fed by tunnel from Loch Garryabove.
Rannoch Power Station, on thenorthern shore of Loch Rannoch, hasbeen generating hydro electricity forover 70 years, fed by water broughtby pipeline and tunnel from LochEricht.
Water flowing from Rannoch Mooris collected behind Gaur Dam and fedby pipeline to a power station on theRiver Gaur before flowing into LochRannoch. From here, the water flowsdown to Loch Tummel via a smallreservoir at Dunalastair, from whereit is carried by aqueduct to the nextpower station at Tummel Bridge.
Errochty Power Station is the largeston the Tummel scheme. It is suppliedvia a 10 kilometres tunnel from LochErrochty. The buttress dam on LochErrochty is 364 metres long and49 metres high. Compensation water,used to maintain a minimum flow inthe River Errochty at all times, is alsoused to generate electricity at theTrinafour Power Station.
Water from Loch Tummel is divertedvia tunnel and pipeline to Clunie PowerStation before flowing on to LochFaskally. Loch Faskally is entirelyman-made, being formed whenPitlochry Dam and Power Stationwere built.
Pitlochry is the last power station inthe Tummel scheme and by the timethe water reaches this point it mayalready have generated electricity upto five times during its course downthe Tummel Valley.
Nowadays, Pitlochry Dam with itsassociated fish ladder, and the scenicbeauty of Loch Faskally, arerecognised as a major touristattraction. It is estimated that upto 500,000 tourists cross the dameach year. Many visit the ScottishHydro Electric Visitor Centre, or thefish ladder viewing chamber to catcha sight of salmon as they passupstream.
Tummel Valley
Pitlochry Dam andFish Ladder(Ordnance SurveyLandranger Sheets43/52). There isample parkingnearby. TheScottish HydroElectric VisitorCentre and fishpass observationchamber are openbetween April andOctober, Mondayto Friday, and atweekends duringJuly, August andBank Holidays,10.00am to5.30pm. There areplenty of well-marked walksaround LochFaskally with thetown of Pitlochryjust ten minutes’walk away.
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Gross Installed Average head capacity annual output
(metres) (megawatts) (million units)
Gaur 30 7.5 21
Cuaich 27 2.5 7
Loch Ericht 55 2.2 12
Rannoch 156 44 187
Tummel 53 34 142
Errochty 186 75 103
Trinafour 91 0.5 4
Clunie 53 61 186
Pitlochry 15 15 60
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The Breadalbane scheme lies in themountainous region around Loch Lyon,Loch Earn and Loch Tay in Perthshireand contains several deep glaciatedvalleys with high peaks well above900 metres high. The steep slopesand heavy rain and snowfall of thisregion combine to create favourableconditions for the production of hydroelectric power.
There are three main sections on theBreadalbane scheme with a total ofseven main stations.
The Lawers section collects waterthrough a system of tunnels andaqueducts and diverts it into Lochan-na-Lairige, the main storage areawhich lies in the pass between LochTay and Glen Lyon. The water is heldback by Lawers Dam, a massivebuttress-type dam 344 metres longand 42 metres high.
Finlarig Power Station on the shoresof Loch Tay uses this water by meansof a pipeline and operates under agross head of 415 metres, the highestcurrently available on any of ScottishHydro Electric's schemes.
The Killin section has three dams andthree power stations, with the mainstorage in Loch Lyon. The water levelof this loch was raised about 21metres when Lubreoch Dam wasbuilt. This huge buttress-type structureis 530 metres long and 39 metreshigh. A system of aqueducts collectswater from the catchment above GlenDochart and the River Lochay andconveys it by tunnel to Loch Lyon.
Cashlie, which receives water fromLoch an Daimh in the north,discharges water into the Stronuichheadpond which was created by theconstruction of a gravity-type dam.
Lochay Power Station is fed fromStronuich through a pipeline andtunnel system over 9 kilometreslong and is the largest station in theBreadalbane scheme. The Falls ofLochay above the power station werepreviously a barrier to salmon but thesmall power station built at the fallswas equipped with a Borland Lift inorder that salmon can now bypass thisobstacle. Two pool type ladders werealso built upstream to open up thespawning gravels of the whole river.
To the south east lies the St Fillanssection of the scheme with two maindams and three power stations. LochBreaclaich collects water from a seriesof small streams which wouldotherwise flow north into Loch Tay.This water is carried from LochBreaclaich through a system oftunnels and aqueducts to LednockPower Station on the shores of LochLednock.
St Fillans Power Station at the footof Loch Earn is fed water from LochLednock via a tunnel and dischargesinto Loch Earn. The machine hall ofthis station is a cavern hewn out ofsolid rock.
From Loch Earn, water is divertedinto a tunnel to feed DalchonziePower Station.
Breadalbane
Lubreoch Dam(Ordnance SurveyLandranger Sheet51) spans thepicturesque LochLyon at the head ofGlen Lyon, popularwith walkers andmotorists. Walkersshould take careduring the deer-stalking season(October toFebruary). The localestate provides acontact phonenumber to check ifthere is likely to beshooting.
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Power Station
Underground Power Station
Aqueduct
Tunnel
Dam
To Callander
To Crief
Lochearnhead
Kenmore
To Crianlarich
To Aberfeldy
Cashlie
Lubreoch
St. Fillans
Lednock
Dalchonzie
Lochay
R. Lyon
R. Doch
ert
R. Lochay
Lochan Daimh 433m
Stronuich Res. 292m
Lochan na Lairige 521m
L. Lednock 352mL. Breaclaich
443m
343m
Loch Tay 106m
Loch Earn 97m
Loch
Lyo
n
Finlarig
Gross Installed Average head capacity annual output
(metres) (megawatts) (million units)
Lubreoch 30 4 16
Cashlie 142 11 26
Lochay 180 45 175
Finlarig 415 16.5 71
Lednock 91 3 4
St Fillans 253 16.8 75
Dalchonzie 29 4 15
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To the west of Loch Lomond is therugged and mountainous landscapeof Argyll. This area provides idealconditions for hydro electric powerdevelopment.
The waters of Loch Sloy are held backby Sloy Dam which is 357 metreslong and 56 metres high. Water isdiverted into Loch Sloy from areaswell to the north and south via asystem of tunnels and aqueducts.
A tunnel 3 kilometres long carrieswater from Loch Sloy through BenVorlich, which towers almost 940metres above Loch Lomond, to thevalve house immediately above SloyPower Station. From here the waterplunges down the side of themountain through four large pipelinesinto the power station.
Sloy Power Station, the largestconventional hydro electric powerstation in the UK, can be operatingat full load within five minutes of astanding start and it is this almostinstant availability that makes it idealfor use during times of peak demand.
In the mountains to the north westof Sloy is Loch Shira. This reservoiris 338 metres above sea level andwas created by building a dam acrossGlen Shira.
Water released from Loch Shirapasses through Sron Mor PowerStation sited on the shore of LochanSron Mor, a small headpond just infront of the main dam. Water iscarried from this headpond by tunnelsand pipelines to Clachan PowerStation over 7 kilometres awayat the head of Loch Fyne.
The Allt-na-Lairige scheme uses thewater resources of upper Glen Fynein an area lying between Sloy andShira. The dam built across one of thetributaries of the River Fyne to formthe main storage reservoir was thefirst pre-stressed dam to be built inWestern Europe. The dam is 425metres long and 24 metres high, andis anchored to its rock foundation byhigh tensile steel rods. Water iscarried from here by tunnel to Allt-na-Lairige Power Station on the RiverFyne.
In the far north west of this schemelies the Awe development containingtwo main power stations and foursmaller ones. The largest, Inverawe,is fed by a 5 kilometre tunnel from an18 metres tall barrage built acrossLoch Awe, a short distance below itsnatural outlet. Incorporated into thebarrage are two radial flood gates,a freshet gate, a Borland Lift and twocompletely submerged bulb turbinegenerators, which are used todischarge compensation water downthe River Awe, which is an importantsalmon river.
Nant Power Station is builtunderground, and fed by Loch Nant,which had its surface area tripled bythe building of Nant Dam, and asystem of aqueducts which collectwater from nearby streams. As thiswater discharges into Loch Awe iteffectively serves Inverawe PowerStation in addition to Nant.
Sloy/Awe
Sloy Power Station(Ordnance SurveyLandranger Sheet56) is best viewedfrom the WestHighland Way longdistance pathwhich runs alongthe opposite shoreof Loch Lomond.There is a publiccar park at theInversnaid Hotelwhich is accessiblefrom the B829from Aberfoyle.There is directaccess from this carpark to the WestHighland Way.
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Power Station
Underground Power Station
Aqueduct
Tunnel
Dam
Sloy
Clachan
Sron Mor
Nant
Inverawe
Loch
Fyn
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Loch A
we 3
7m
L. L
ong
Allt na Lairige
Loch
Etive
L. L
om
on
d
To Helensburgh To Dumbarton
To Fort William
To Dunoon
To Crianlarich
To Crianlarich
To Oban
To Lochgilphead
Loch Avich
R. A
rray
R. S
hira
R. Fallo
ch
River Lochy
River Orchy
River
Stra
e
Brannie Burn
River Fyne
R. Nan
t
R. Awe
L. Nant207m
L. Sloy285m
Resr. 303m
L. Tulia
Dalmally
Inveraray
Tarbet
Arrochar
Tyndrum
Cladich
Taynuilt
Bridge of Orchy
Gross Installed Average head capacity annual output
(metres) (megawatts) (million units)
Sloy 277 152.5 130
Sron Mor 46 5 7
Clachan 294 40 82
Allt-na-Lairige 249 6 19
Nant 172 15 36
Inverawe 36 25 106
Kilmelfort 111 2 12
Loch Gair 109 6 19
Striven 123 8 22
Lussa 116 2.4 9
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In this publication, we’ve looked backat the men and organisations involvedin bringing power from the glens andat the story of the Hydro Boys andTunnel Tigers who, in the last century,made the vision a reality. We’ve alsolooked at the balance between theneed for clean, renewable energy,essential to help reduce ClimateChange, and the preservation of thelocal biodiversity and environment.
Scotland’s hydro electric schemes area wonderful resource that continuesto provide clean energy to customersthroughout the United Kingdom.
But the story doesn’t stop there.
As the demand for renewable energyhas increased, mainly in response tothe United Kingdom government andEuropean Union initiatives to promotereductions in carbon dioxideemissions, so interest has grown indeveloping new renewable energysources, with long-established andnew companies entering the sector.
Scottish and Southern Energy iscommitted to the long-termdevelopment and sustainability ofrenewable energy in the UnitedKingdom. In addition to on-goingmaintenance, the company is comittedto investment in its hydro powerstations to ensure their long-termfuture.
In addition to its interests in a numberof on-shore wind farms, Scottish andSouthern Energy is working withpartner organisations looking at awider range of initiatives includingoff-shore and deep water wind farms,solar, wave and tidal energy devices.
Clean renewable energy can evenbe found in the most unlikely places.Scottish and Southern Energy ownstwo, 2,000 megawatts coal-firedpower stations in the north of England.These have been modified to burnbiomass – waste vegetable matter –so reducing the amount of coalburned. Biomass is considered‘carbon-neutral’ and therefore moreenvironmentally friendly because thecarbon dioxide produced when it isburned has been offset by the amountof the same gas absorbed by theplants whilst growing.
And the hydro story goes on.
In 2001 Scottish and Southern Energybegan generating electricity at Cuileig,south of Ullapool. This is its first newhydro electric power station to bebuilt since the major hydroprogrammes of the 1960s and 1970s.It is a small, 3 megawatts stationwhich has been developed as a modelof good practice in modern hydroelectric development. Positioned asit is, in the beautiful CorrieshallochGorge, the power station is hardlyvisible in the landscape.
In 2005 the company’s second newhydro development, a 3.5 megawattsstation at Kingairloch on the MorvernPeninsular, south west of Fort William,also began generating.
Cuileig Power Station viewed from above
Tangy wind farm
Biomass stocks at
Fiddler’s Ferry
Power Station
Renewable energy for the 21st Century
Long may we bring youPower from the Glens -Neart nan Gleann.
Scottish and Southern Energy plcRegistered Office: Inveralmond House, 200 Dunkeld Road, Perth PH1 3AQRegistered in Scotland No. 117119Website: scottish-southern.co.ukE-mail: [email protected] Telephone: 01738 456000
Thank you for buying Power from the Glens.All profits from the sale of this book are donatedto Children’s Hospices in England, Scotland andWales to help fund their essential work withterminally ill children and their families.
Naomi HouseHelen & Douglas HouseTy HafenRachel House
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