Field Visit

Date 18 May 1976

Event ID 545698

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/545698

JR Hume Industrial Archaeology Survey

(Location cited as NN 190 617). Kinlochleven Aluminium Works, built 1905-9 by the British Aluminium Co Ltd. Powered by the largest British hydro-electric power of itsday (capacity 25,725 kW) with fourteen Pelton turbines. The water is drawn from a gravity dam [NN26SW 3.00] on the Blackwater [Reservoir] at NN 248 604.

The works is in two parts. One is an irregular complex of buildings including the power station, boiler house and other structures, dominated by a circular-section brick chimney. The buildings visible from the main road have a rubble finish to tone in with the surroundings, which are of great natural beauty. The other part consists of a large block of single-storey buildings, with prominent ventilators.

The village of Kinlochleven [NN16SE 11] was built to serve the works, and consists of a number of blocks of 2-storey houses, providing a range of accommodation. Theseare in the 'model-village' style common in the period.

The works was linked to a pier [NN16SE 3.03] on Loch Leven by an electric railway [NN16SE 3.04] of 3ft (0.91m) gauge. This was closed in 1960 and dismantled, but the track bed is largely intact.

J R Hume 1977.