The Highlands are home to some of the most impressive renewables projects in the world. They produce more energy than the Highlands will ever consume – making an invaluable contribution to the UK’s energy needs, helping to reduce everyone’s carbon footprint and creating a better future for the wider world.
Many of these engineering masterpieces can be visited and they are often all the more impressive thanks to the stunning dramatic locations they occupy around the highlands. Some can be viewed from afar but others can be seen close-up where you can explore the fascinating technical innovations at their heart and hear the amazing stories that led to their creation.
Set in the enchanting woodland landscape of the River Tummel, the Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre houses a café, exhibitions, a meeting space and a renowned salmon ladder. The Centre showcases the rich history of hydroelectricity in the north of Scotland - explaining how it has transformed all our lives. On display, are many fascinating artefacts that demonstrate how generations of people’s lives have been transformed by electrical appliances and how green energy will protect the lives of generations to come.
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Set in the enchanting woodland landscape of the River Tummel, the Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre houses a café, exhibitions, a meeting space and a renowned salmon ladder. The Centre showcases the rich history of hydroelectricity in the north of Scotland - explaining how it has transformed all our lives. On display, are many fascinating artefacts that demonstrate how generations of people’s lives have been transformed by electrical appliances and how green energy will protect the lives of generations to come.
Visitors will meet visionaries, such as Tom Johnston, who saw the untapped potential of hydro power in Scotland and hear about the life of Edward ‘Electricity’ MacColl whose engineering genius, was pivotal in bringing that power to life. You’ll also hear stories of the Hydro Boys and Tunnel Tigers who devoted, and sometime sacrificed, their lives to build these ambitious schemes under the most challenging conditions.
There’s also lots to learn about biodiversity and the role the dam’s fish ladder has in preserving the salmon’s incredible life cycle and how that, in turn, contributes to the biodiversity of the river as a whole. There is nothing more impressive than seeing majestic Atlantic salmon leaping up the fish ladder as they make their way to their spawning grounds further up the river.
Part of the Lochaber Hydroelectric Scheme, which includes an aluminium smelter, Laggan dam is a spectacular feat of civil engineering in an even more spectacular setting - with the stunning Grey Corries providing a dramatic backdrop. Containing 1.4 billion cubic feet of water in Loch Laggan, this A-listed structure is what is known as a gravity dam. This means it only uses the weight of materials in its construction to hold back the force of the water behind it.
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Part of the Lochaber Hydroelectric Scheme, which includes an aluminium smelter, Laggan dam is a spectacular feat of civil engineering in an even more spectacular setting - with the stunning Grey Corries providing a dramatic backdrop. Containing 1.4 billion cubic feet of water in Loch Laggan, this A-listed structure is what is known as a gravity dam. This means it only uses the weight of materials in its construction to hold back the force of the water behind it.
Located just off the A86, it is easy to reach and well worth a visit. Once there, you can find out about the dam’s many interesting design features such as its innovative self-regulating siphons which manage the water level in the dam without the need for human intervention. The Lochaber Hydroelectric Scheme and its aluminium smelter represent one of the most ambitious and successful civil engineering projects of the 20th century in Britain. The dam provides storage capacity for the hydroelectric powerhouse at Lochaber with the water passing through a tunnel into Loch Treig and then on to the powerhouse via a further tunnel running under Ben Nevis. It will restore your faith in the power of human ingenuity to avoid climate catastrophe.
Once the route of ancient Scottish kings on their pilgrimage to the Shrine of St Duthac at Tain, the Cromarty to Nigg Ferry now attracts a new generation of pilgrims. They are travelling to see the incredible structures being created to save the world from a climate catastrophe.
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Once the route of ancient Scottish kings on their pilgrimage to the Shrine of St Duthac at Tain, the Cromarty to Nigg Ferry now attracts a new generation of pilgrims. They are travelling to see the incredible structures being created to save the world from a climate catastrophe. The Green Freeport at Nigg has become a superhub - responsible for the creation of ground-breaking offshore wind technologies. It gave birth to the incredible structures that now form Scotland’s largest, and the world’s deepest, wind farm in the form of Seagreen. This vast offshore wind farm consists of 114 turbines and generates enough electricity to power 1.6 million homes.
The ferry from Cromarty to Nigg gives visitors a spectacular view. Not just of the dolphins, seals, whales, basking sharks and seabirds that populate the waters but of the awe-inspiring structures that will protect environments all over the world. The superhub at Nigg is where the next generation of wind technology is being assembled for deep sea floating wind farms that will dwarf those on land and produce even more green energy than those mounted on the seabed.
While it may not be the biggest in the world, generating 66mw, the wind farm at Moy between the villages of Daviot and Tomatin offers a great opportunity for a walk through rugged Highland scenery and to see some of the wildlife that the wind farm was configured to protect.
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While it may not be the biggest in the world, generating 66mw, the wind farm at Moy between the villages of Daviot and Tomatin offers a great opportunity for a walk through rugged Highland scenery and to see some of the wildlife that the wind farm was configured to protect. The developers worked with Scottish Natural Heritage and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to ensure that the 20 turbines were located to minimise their effect on local wild life, particularly the local red kite population. There is a circular walking track from Moy that enables visitors to enjoy wonderful views of the surrounding countryside and see how a wind farm can be successfully integrated into a precious Highland environment. Land-based wind power is widely acknowledged to be the cheapest form of renewable energy currently available, costing around 39% less than the cheapest fossil fuel generation. The organisation responsible for the Moy Wind Farm see it as a key part of their commitment to deliver affordable, renewable energy to their customers.
As the name might suggest, the Great Glen wind farm is the highest in the UK. Managed by Millennium Wind Energy Ltd, it occupies a stunning position on the hills north of Invergarry and south west of Fort Augustus. When operating at full capacity, the site’s 26 wind turbines generate enough clean, green electricity to supply around 36,000 average homes. Despite its elevated position, it doesn’t require a long hike to get up to the wind farm and, thanks to its height, it offers panoramic views over the surrounding highland scenery. Its dominant position means you can see the wind farm’s turbines from vantage points all along the Great Glen, particularly South of Fort Augustus where they can be seen from the main road.
Located 12km south of Strathy Village in Sutherland, Strathy South Wind Farm is home to some of the UK’s tallest onshore wind turbines. Measuring 200m from base to tip, they can access faster winds, since wind speed increases with altitude. The wind farm’s 35 turbines are anticipated to generate 920,000MWh of electricity - enough clean energy to power 317,000 households. Unlike other areas of the UK, many local residents came out in active support of plans for the wind farm as it went through planning stages with the communities of neighbouring villages demonstrating in favour of it as they saw it as a potential attraction to the area, a boost to local employment prospects and a way to “do their bit” for the planet. Why not come and see these incredible towering structures and judge for yourself whether you feel they were right.
Cruachan Dam is a masterpiece of modern engineering in a breathtaking location on the slopes of Ben Cruachan. It is the centrepiece of the Cruachan Power Station - a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in the Highlands of Scotland.
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Cruachan Dam is a masterpiece of modern engineering in a breathtaking location on the slopes of Ben Cruachan. It is the centrepiece of the Cruachan Power Station - a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in the Highlands of Scotland. The scheme can generate 440 MW and its turbine hall is actually located inside a mountain - Ben Cruachan. The scheme channels water between Cruachan Reservoir and Loch Awe, leveraging a height difference of 396 m. One of just four pumped storage power stations on the UK, it stores cheap energy generated during off peak periods by wind and nuclear facilities to meet higher demands during peak usage periods.
The reservoir that the dam has created can store 353 million cubic feet (10 million m³) of water and its catchment was increased by a 19km network of tunnels and aquifers channelling additional streams and rainwater into the reservoir. It is a perfect demonstration of how the power of nature can be harnessed effectively within a stunning natural environment.
The power station was listed by the conservation organisation International Committee for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement (DoCoMoMo) as one of the sixty key monuments of post-war Scottish architecture. In November 2012, the power station was also awarded the Institution of Mechanical Engineers' Engineering Heritage Award.
The visitor centre at Cruachan offers you an experience like no other. It will take you on a journey deep into the subterranean world of Cruachan Power Station where you can see the cavernous machine hall and power-generating turbines hidden within Ben Cruachan which has become known as “the hollow mountain”. Whilst there, you can explore the epic history of the tunnels and the brave team that drilled and blasted them. Here you will also find the three-section modernist mural created by the artist Elizabeth Falconer which incorporates Celtic crosses, pylons, mythical beasts, and men of industry. The first section depicts the mythical Cailleach Bheur, who guarded the spring beneath the mountain. The middle panel commemorates 15 workers who were tragically killed when the roof of the turbine hall collapsed, and the final section shows the station in operation.
Once out in the open again, you can revel in the stunning views of Loch Awe which become steadily more spectacular if you choose to venture up the mountain to the Dam itself.
The Logie Wind farm Trail is quite an experience. As well as seeing its towering turbines close up, you will enjoy panoramic views over the surrounding landscape. On a clear day you will see right down to Findhorn and across the Moray Firth to the Black Isle and the hills beyond.
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The Logie Wind farm Trail is quite an experience. As well as seeing its towering turbines close up, you will enjoy panoramic views over the surrounding landscape. On a clear day you will see right down to Findhorn and across the Moray Firth to the Black Isle and the hills beyond. Thanks to the access required for the wind farm, the trail is made easier by well-compacted and graded hardcore tracks which mean you can enjoy the awe inspiring views either on foot, on two wheels or from a wheelchair, pushchair or mobility scooter.
The wind farm at Logie is a classic example of how a wind farm can gain traction with a local community and create a visitor attraction that will benefit the local economy. Initial learnings from the construction of a single, medium-sized (55KW), turbine, meant that the farm could be sensitively extended to comprise twelve 2.3MW turbines. The project was managed to keep as much of the economic benefit of both development and operations within the local area. The official opening included children from the local primary who were invited to take part in planting native tree species on the site.
Anyone living on the West Coast of Scotland will tell you about the power of the wind there, and the wind farm at Ben Aketil on Skye is making great use of that natural resource. Not just to benefit the planet but also the people in neighbouring communities and to create a popular visitor attraction, in the form of a mountain trail, which gives access to walkers, cyclists, mobility scooters, prams and wheelchair users.
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Anyone living on the West Coast of Scotland will tell you about the power of the wind there, and the wind farm at Ben Aketil on Skye is making great use of that natural resource. Not just to benefit the planet but also the people in neighbouring communities and to create a popular visitor attraction, in the form of a mountain trail, which gives access to walkers, cyclists, mobility scooters, prams and wheelchair users.
Situated on sloping heather moorland to the north of Ben Aketil, 4 miles (6.5 km) east of Dunvegan, the wind farm comprises twelve 2.3 MW turbines giving a maximum generation capacity of 27.6 MW. Owned and managed by Ben Aketil Wind Energy Ltd., it incorporates a co-operative element which allows local people to invest in the project and funds a community trust which distributes grants of up to £35,000 per year to benefit the local community throughout the wind farm’s lifespan.
Located not far from Thurso, in Caithness, Causeymire wind Farm is well worth a visit. Unlike many other wind farms, the trail round it won’t take you up a hill or mountain as it is located on an area of relatively flat peatland and the well-maintained paths make it an easy route for walkers and cyclists as well as those with mobility issues.
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Located not far from Thurso, in Caithness, Causeymire wind Farm is well worth a visit. Unlike many other wind farms, the trail round it won’t take you up a hill or mountain as it is located on an area of relatively flat peatland and the well-maintained paths make it an easy route for walkers and cyclists as well as those with mobility issues. While the views here are very different to the traditional mountain scenery associated with the Highlands, they are no less impressive and the peatland ecosystem here presents a very different spectrum of wild life. While the wind turbines towering above you are reducing carbon by alleviating the need for fossil fuels, the peatland beneath your feet is capturing carbon like no other environment on the planet.
A key part of the wind farm’s development has been the consideration of the precious wetland environment on which it stands and the many rare and endangered species that rely on the local ecosystem. A systematic peatland regeneration scheme is underway across the area, and you will see a wide range of birdlife and you may even catch a glimpse of a real rarity such as: a hen harrier, goshawk or white-tailed eagle.