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The Powerhouse The powerhouse drew on water from the three main dams and various other inlets on the scheme (see separate records) to drive five 6,800 kW generators. These were set into a deep rock excavation to get the turbines as close to sea level as possible. Lochaber power scheme was a significant development in … Read more

Pipelines and Portals The scheme harnesses the headwaters of the Rivers Treig and Spean and the flood waters of the River Spey (plus a further eleven burns along the way). The Laggan Dam (213 m long and 55 m high) contained the flow of the Spean in a reservoir (Loch Laggan). A 4 km tunnel … Read more

Loch Treig Dam and Railway Loch Treig (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Trèig, meaning loch of death) is a 9 km freshwater loch situated in a steep-sided glen 20 km east of Fort William, in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. While there are no roads alongside the loch, the West Highland Line follows its eastern bank. Since 1929 Loch … Read more

Building the Lochaber Factory The scheme was initially designed by engineer Charles Meik but after his death in 1923, the scheme’s realisation was left to William Halcrow, by then a partner in the firm founded by Meik’s father Thomas Meik. Laggan DamThe project was finally sanctioned by Parliament in 1921, but construction did not start … Read more

Casting Shop Lochaber The liquid aluminium was drawn off from a holding furnace where it was held in the molten state after the smelting process. It was then cast into blocks. Prior to the 1950s it would have been cast into ingots.

Lochaber Tunnel The Lochaber Power Company was established by Act of Parliament in 1920 to produce aluminium using electric smelters. The company was authorised to develop a catchment area of 303 square miles in the vicinity of Ben Nevis which had, in places, a rainfall of 160 in. and was admirably suited for the site … Read more

Laggan Dam Construction Photographs taken during the construction of Laggan Dam. The structure was built as part of the Lochaber hydroelectric scheme by Balfour Beatty for the British Aluminium Company and construction was finished in 1934. The supervising engineers were the firm of C S Meik and William Halcrow, now known as the Halcrow Group. … Read more

Garvamore project Garvmore project started last year with Jahama estate’s (Alvance) recording the valley from Melgarve, to Laggan Valley. Garvemore, Garvebeag, Sherabeag, Shermore and Crathie Village near Spey Dam. On going project metal detecting the land over three years discovering the history of the landscape and farming of the valley. Working with the estate and staff … Read more

Torcastle: Medieval Highland castle once again accessible Banquo’s Walk, a wide, tree-lined avenue with parallel banks, has long been believed to have been formed as a ceremonial route associated with folklore attached to the nearby ruins of Tor-castle. However, the 8m wide route, which ended abruptly at both ends, was located in line with no … Read more

Achnacarry: Commando Basic Training Centre – 70 Years On. An archaeological evaluation and survey was undertaken on 8th and 9th May 2014 at the site of the former Commando Basic Training Camp (CBTC) located on the grounds of Achnacarry Castle, Achnacarry, Spean Bridge (Figure 1). The work was requested by Lochaber Archaeological Society as part … Read more