This halt was built for halt for the loch sloy hydroscheme construction of inveruglas power station and loch sloy dam. Sometimes the tunnels lead from loch ness to other lakes with monster legends, enabling a monster singular to appear in different lakes at different times. The loch vennachars sister ship the loch sloy was also wrecked on the kangaroo island coastline just six years earlier, in 1899. A 182 ft 56m high dam built from 1946 onwards is dwarfed by the scale of the mountains and is well worth the walk round the back of ben vorlich from inveruglas. The dam will be the longest in sses portfolio, and the drop to the head will be the biggest in the uk. Following matthew ochterlonys death in 1946, the scheme was progressed alone by harold tarbolton construction began in may 1945, under. The standard average rainfall of the reservoir catchment is over 3000mm, more than twice the average annual rainfall in glasgow, and at least five times the. This is the short sevenmile approximate hike up to the dam at loch sloy, from inveruglas on the west shore of loch lomond. Uk weather a snow covered loch sloy hydro electric. It uses water from loch sloy, which is nearby and higher up. Loch sloy hydroelectric power plant uk is located at loch lomond, argyllshire, argyll and bute, united kingdom. Balfour beatty completed a number of major construction projects in the immediate postwar years, including. Hydroelectric energy on reserve signature electric. Apr 23, 2012 a group of four archaeology students searched the sea and land on kangaroo islands west coast earlier this month in a bid to find the historic loch sloy and the burial sites of 11 bodies.
Arrochar, tarbet and ardlui heritage the loch sloy hydro. This was opened by the late queen mother on 18th october 1950 and is still the largest hydro electric power station in the uk. Inveruglas, loch sloy hydroelectric power station you may copy, display, store and make derivative works for personal use or use solely within an educational. He had first described the principal of using buttresses instead of mass concrete in 1936 when lecturing in washington dc. Reference guide to famous engineering landmarks of the world. Loch sloy was a scottish sailing barque that operated between great britain and australia from the late 19th century until 1899. On reaching the valve house it thunders down through four mammoth. The water for this power station comes from loch sloy, high in the hills, with its massive dam, 56 metres high and 357 metres long. The first hydroelectric project to be undertaken by the north of scotland hydroelectric board was at loch sloy on the banks of loch lomond where constructional work began in 1945. The mass concrete buttress dam is 354m long and 49m high, and impounds 34 million cubic metres if water. A dam hard life on the hydroelectric heraldscotland. In order to maximise capacity, water was diverted into loch sloy from areas to the north and south via tunnels and aqueducts, including a 3 kilometre tunnel through 985 metre high ben vorlich.
The signal box here opened in 1946 and closed in 1956. Below the dam at kinlochleven nearly halfamile long and holding. Don and alison have lived in the te anau area for over 20 years and prior to building loch sloy they were farming in the te anau basin and previously not far from invercargill. Sloy by loch lomond, there were only three dry weeks, and with the mud. Proceedings of the institution of civil engineers vol 1, no 6.
The catchment area for the loch is some 8,300 hectares. Mountain biking route from inveruglas, loch lomond past ben. Cavenger, who is trying to find loch ness type creatures to study. There was an access tunnel with strictly no access danger of spalling. The sloy awe hydroelectric scheme is a hydroelectric facility situated between loch sloy and inveruglas on the west bank of loch lomond in scotland. Jun 02, 2015 winter walk up to the dam at loch sloy on a bleak, wet miserable march day. Uncover the history of the epic tunnel and the brave team that drilled and blasted it, then enjoy the stunning views of loch awe from the visitor centre the perfect. Opened in 1950 by queen elizabeth, the queen mother 1900 2002. Inveruglas, loch sloy hydroelectric power station canmore. The new dam nn289111 at the south east end of loch sloy raised its water level by 47m and doubled its length. About loch sloy dam loch sloy is the largest conventional hydroelectric plant in britain.
The loch sloy dam, built as part of the project, is 56m high and 357m long and raised the surface level of the loch by approximately 47m. To mark the anniversary five tunnel tigers, now in their 70s, revisited the inside of ben cruachan. The use of this technology represented a significant cost saving for the board with only 20,000 tons of concrete required for construction, in contrast to the 50,000 which would have. From the large car park at lnveruglas, just north of sloy power station, follow the signposted path past the power plant back to the padlocked access road to coriegrogain farm and loch sloy dam. At tarbert, about half way up loch lomond we continued straight on towards. The first unit was commissioned in 1950 and the last in 1950.
Over 300 kilometres of rock tunnel had been excavated and a similar length of aqueducts and pipelines constructed. Please be patient as this page may take a few moments to load thank you. Thus up to 1943 the development of hydroelectricity in the highlands had reached an aggregate installed capacity of 194,475 kw. The names of the schemes loch sloy, glen shira, tummelgarry, the conon valley, glen affric, strathfarrarkilmorack, glenmoristongarry, shin, breadalbane, ben cruachan are vivid in the memories of all who worked on them, in an epic of. Again in heavy seas 31 of the ships passengers and crew clung to. Cruachan tunnel tigers honoured 50 years on the scotsman. A lovely day with a little bit of a breeze and occasional cloud. Since the 1930s this is essentially a hydro system with a large and sinister looking dam across it. The actual power from hydroelectricity in the uk today is 0. So the hillsides, aqueducts, and tunnels bringing water to loch sloy act like a 55fold power concentrator. Loch sloy reservoir has a direct catchment area of 17km2, and an extensive network of intakes, pipes and tunnels contributes a further 63km2 of indirect catchment to the reservoir.
The route is well maintained throughout and mostly gravel with some tarmac sections generally a route for all abilities and the wide and quiet. It is the main storage reservoir for fasnakyle power station, which lies in glen cannich, to the south. Park wonders friends of loch lomond and the trossachs. The resulting sloy reservoir has a 17km 2 direct catchment area, although various pipes and intakes have provided a further 63km 2 of indirect catchment area.
The glasgow firm of crowley russel were awarded the first part of this contract. Her name was drawn from loch sloy, a freshwater loch which lies to the north of the burgh of helensburgh, in the region of argyll and bute, scotland. Loch mullardoch, the reservoir formed by the dam, represents the considerably enlarged conjoined loch formed from the union of the pre dam loch mullardoch, and loch lungard, which lay to the west. This infrastructure is of type hydro power plant with a design capacity of mwe. Celebration as two groups meet in ben vorlich during the construction of the loch sloy scheme, 1949. In fact, hydropower is the largest contributor of all renewable energy sources and accounts for 6. Zack wallace find the roots of his migraines and night terrors by returning to his roots while simultaneously solving multiple mysteries. Loch sloy was built to provide power for the glasgow area to meet peak.
Tunnel tigers were the highest paid of all the hydro boys with wages some 10 times that of. From here it is channelled through a 3km tunnel, hewn through of the massive side of ben vorlich. Water descends through tunnels and pipes from loch sloy, passing through the southern slopes of ben vorlich. May 08, 20 celebration as two groups meet in ben vorlich during the construction of the loch sloy scheme, 1949. Sloy awe hydro electric scheme, loch sloy dam is a category b listed building in arrochar, argyll and bute, scotland. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Glendoe, near loch ness, was the mostrecent major hydro scheme to be built. Oct 15, 2015 some of the men who risked their lives, and lost friends, while building the power station near the top of a mountain have been back to ben cruachan.
Inveruglas 19451950 opened on the west highland railway. Whilst the imposing concrete of the 56 metre high sloy dam is impressive enough, the engineering feats that are hidden from view are equally so. Power from the glens neart nan gleann emma woods book the hydro boys foreword. North of scotland hydroelectric board graces guide. Hydro electric power station scotland stock photos. Nicknamed the tunnel tigers, a 4,000 strong army of workers drilled their way into the depths of an argyll mountain to transform the nations energy supplies.
Scottish and southern energy sloy reservoir and power. The plan was to walk from arrochar at the head of loch long and follow the northern end of the cowal way up to loch sloy leaving appletree cottage we drove to balloch and then up the western shore of loch lomond. In the 30 years between the end of world war ii and 1975, the construction schemes of the north of scotland hydroelectric board changed the face of the highlands and brought electricity to almost the whole of the country north of the highland line. Over 37000 kilometres of electricity network was built to distribute the electricity throughout the north of scotland, with a further 110 kilometres of submarine cable taking power to the major scottish islands.
So when you reach the dam, take a l ook at your map, and wonder at ho w it was possible, all those years ago, to carve such tunnels through these mountains. This book is a vivid account of the schemes and includes eyewitness stories from many of the workers from dam builders, engineers, tunnel tigers, linemen who made the electrification of the highlands a reality and now, often for the first time, tell what it was like. Tunnel tigers were the highest paid of all the hydro. It is a bold modernist classical design, sited in a prominent location on the banks of loch lomond adjacent to the a82 trunk road and is a fine work by one of the boards most. The loch sloy dam was built in 1945 by 2000 men some were german prisoners. Geological and civil engineering aspects of hydroelectric. The construction of the loch sloy dam and power station was, quite literally, a groundbreaking start to one of the most progressive and farreaching engineering projects in the world. Early 1945 the hydro electric scheme at loch sloy was to commence. Nothing on such a scale had been attempted before, and the. Sloy awe hydro electric scheme, loch sloy dam, arrochar.
Loch sloy is dammed to retain the water and is fed by a series of tunnels and aqueducts from a much larger area. Oct 01, 1994 loch and his sister zaidee are with their father at lake alban. Winter walk up to the dam at loch sloy on a bleak, wet miserable march day. The names of the schemes loch sloy, glen shira, tummelgarry, the conon valley, glen affric. Glen falloch viaduct creagan ardain tunnel craigenarden viaduct easeonan viaduct inveruglas power station inveruglas viaduct touristother ardlui pier pulpit rock inverarnan basin drovers inn ben vorlich north peak ben vorlich loch sloy dam beinn chabhair falls of falloch. The original power station was opened in 1950 by the queen mother and was designed to provide power to clydeside and central scotland at times of peak demand. Loch sloy dam scotland phantom 4 drone footage youtube. The first project of the north of scotland hydroelectric board was the construction in 1946 of a 182ft 56m high dam across the old homelands of the clan macfarlane west of ben vorlich, the mountain itself penetrated by a twomile tunnel. Excellent walk to loch sloy dam loch lomond self luxury. Ben vorlich is a bulky and very rugged mountain, the most northerly of the arrochar alps. During times of low electricity demand, its turbines pump water from loch awe to the reservoir above. Loch sloy dam forms the storage reservoir for sloy power station see separate item.
Loch sloy dam is situated in loch lomond national park. The route shown in the gpx track below includes a short extension up to the sloy dam which is well worth a look. Following matthew ochterlony s death in 1946, the scheme was progressed alone by harold tarbolton. Christopher silver is the author of a book on scottish culture and media. Loch sloy hydro electric power station tunnels down ben vorlich onto shores of loch lomond with cruise boat in foreground loch lomond, scotland, uk 24 january 2019. So when you reach the dam, take a look at your map, and wonder at how it was possible, all those years ago, to carve such tunnels through these. Bridges, tunnels, dams, roads, and other structures berlow, lawrence h. Its water flows from loch sloy along 3km tunnels cut through ben vorlich, to power the station on the shore of loch lomond below. They also took a trip up to the hilltop dam, high above loch awe, which is an intergral part of. The last kilometre lies along a footpath by the dangerously busy a82 take care when crossing to the inveruglas car park which marks the northern terminus of the three lochs way.
Photographs and maps of an ascent of ben vorlich above. Loch sloy dam is proof that not all energy storage relies on batteries. Power from the glens first edition by jim miller isbn. For associated loch sloy reservoir and dam, see also nn21se 2. It is possible to walk a fine circuit taking in the little hills from ardlui to the north, but the ascent here, from inveruglas via the loch sloy dam road, is the quickest and most popular. Its water flows along tunnels cut through ben vorlich, to power the station below. Go through the kissing gate and follow the road under the railway bridge.
There was a passing loop, sidings and a loading bank. Its water runs in the tunnels cut through mountain ben vorlich, to power the station located below. The area around the river tummel and loch tummel is known as strathtummel and is one of the most beautiful parts of perthshires big tree country, with ever changing colours throughout the seasons and a great choice of walks, cycle routes and places to. A new power station and tunnels would require to be excavated inside ben vorlich. Woodhead tunnel 3 our tunneling experts start work on what was the longest rail tunnel in the uk at the time 1949 staythorpe power station one of our first projects for the newly nationalised power industry 1945 loch sloy dam our greatest civil engineering challenge to date, constructing the 49metre high dam our first contract. Sloy power station is the earliest example of the work of the north of scotland hydro electric board nosheb in the development of hydro electric power in scotland. Image sse, scottish renewables and historic scotland image caption tunnel tigers celebrated as two groups met in ben vorlich during the construction of the loch sloy scheme, 1949. During those twentyfive years the bureau of reclamation, the corps of engineers, and private entities such as pacific power, portland general electric, and the idaho power company turned the previously freeflowing rivers into a series of quiet lakes. The years between 1949 and 1975 were dam building years along the pacific northwests columbia and snake rivers.
Ch 8 page 56 sustainable energy without the hot air. The loch sloy dam power station at inveruglas on loch lomond. Oct 22, 2015 this is a great little 22 mile mountain biking route from inveruglas, loch lomond. It is 56m high and 357m long and its still the largest conventional hydroelectric power plant in the uk. The loch sloy hydroelectric scheme 1950 the loch sloy hydroelectric scheme 1950. A quarter of the 400 roads required to build the dams would go on to be. Four 2m diameter highpressure steel pipes drop down to the station each supplying a seperate generator set. A sign outside the tunnel advises beware of spalling rock splintering. Loch sloy, which sits in the hills several hundred feet above loch lomond, was the subject of the first scheme undertaken by the north of scotland hydro electricity board in 1945. So rather unwillingly on my part, we gave up on the mountain and walked to loch sloy instead. The installed capacity will be between 50mw and 100mw.
On the way back a small frog was spotted on a path but it soon made its way back to the safety of the undergrowth. Filming in 1080p60fps for a change, this is the loch sloy dam in scotland, it feeds a hydro electric power station at inveruglas. Rogue, who is the biggest and has killed a couple of people, and a smaller one. The dam is of buttress type with a fixed spillway to the centre and integrated tunnel intake gatehouse to the upstream side of the dam allowing water to enter the tunnel through to the power station. Jun 05, 20 across the loch could be seen loch sloy hydro electric power station. Inveruglas, loch sloy hydroelectric power station you may copy, display, store and make derivative works for personal use or use solely within an educational institution by staff and students, under these conditions. Loch tummel is a long narrow loch in perthshire, 6 miles 9.