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Archaeology Notes

Event ID 845058

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/845058

NN16SE 3.00 centred 18947 61835

Works [NAT] (at NN 1886 6193)

Works [NAT] (at NN 1898 6176)

OS 1:10,0000 map, 1971.

NN16SE 3.01 NN 20214 60445 to NN 19871 60976 Pipeline

NN16SE 3.02 NN 19050 61826 Power House

NN16SE 3.03 NN 17638 61853 to NN c. 17788 61833 Quay (Loch Leven)

NN16SE 3.04 NN 1763 6185 to NN c. 1894 6183 Railway (narrow gauge)

NN16SE 3.05 NN 18775 61829 Visitor Centre and Library ('The Aluminium Story')

NN16SE 3.06 NN 18863 61683 Works Hostel

NN16SE 3.07 NN 17859 61886 Slipway

NN16SE 3.08 NN 19871 60976 to NN 19118 61767 Penstocks

See also:

NN26SW 2 NN 30500 60200 Blackwater Reservoir

NN26SW 3.00 NN 24790 60371 Blackwater Reservoir, Dam (Blackwater Dam)

NN26SW 3.01 NN 24731 60260 to NN 20214 60445 Aqueduct

NN26SW 3.02 [NN 202 604 to NN 247 602] Possible construction railway

NN26SW 3.03 NN 20188 60458 Lower Penstock Valve House

NN26SW 4 NN 24213 60253 Blackwater Dam, Burial-ground (Construction Graveyard)

For (associated) Kinlochleven village (workers' housing), see NN16SE 6.

For (relevant) field survey area (AOC, 1997), see NN26SW 27.

(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.

Aluminium Works, built in 1905-9 and extended in the 1930's. Near the street, tall aggressively rubbly Edwardian blocks, their sides patterned by round-arched openings.

J Gifford 1992.

This works is now closed. A visitor centre (NN16SE 3.05) has been opened, and part of the works is in use as an ice-climbing centre ('The Ice Factor').

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 8 June 2006.

People and Organisations

References