Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Highlands and Islands
Date 2007
Event ID 932436
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/932436
Loch Laggan Dam (Institute Civil Engineers Historic Engineering Works no. HEW 1433)
Work on the second stage of the Lochaber scheme included building dams to increase the water storage capacity of both Loch Treig and Loch Laggan.
The Laggan Dam is easily seen from the A86 road as it descends to Spean Bridge from Moy Lodge. The dam, a massive concrete gravity structure 700 ft long and 130 ft high, was built across the River Spean 412 miles below the then outlet to Loch Laggan and increased the length and
storage capacity of the loch without raising its water level. This obviated the need to divert roads and to inundate valuable property.
About 1000 men were employed on the construction of the dams. Those working on the Laggan Dam had accommodation at Roughburn camp adjacent to the site whilst those working at Loch Treig (NN37NW ) were housed at Fersit halfway between the dam sites. Work on both dams was
completed in 1934. The consulting engineer was William Halcrow, and the main contractor was Balfour Beatty &Co. Ltd.
R Paxton and J Shipway, 2007.
Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Highlands and Islands' with kind permission from Thomas Telford Publishers.
