Clachan Power Station

Clachan power station contains a single large 40 MW turbine (the most powerful single turbine in the UK) housed in an underground turbine hall with a small control building adjacent to the tunnel access portal. The station was built using the cut and cover method with a large hole being dug and lined with concrete before the contours of the hillside were restored over the top. This is a relatively standard underground power station with some additional interest from the innovative method of construction used to build the turbine hall. The control room and switch gear building is relatively standard, but with the addition of a more unusual balcony above the main entrance. P L Payne, 1988, 5; E Wood, 2002, 38; J Miller, 2002.

The Loch Sloy hydro electric scheme

This was the first scheme to be tackled in 1945. Serious problems arose due to the post-war shortages of manpower and materials. The first of these was addressed by using hundreds of German prisoners of war. Access problems required the building of roads and conveyors for materials landed from Loch Lomond. Severe weather conditions delayed progress and the project was not completed until 1950.

A dam of massive buttress type was built at the south-eastern end of Loch Sloy leading to a tunnel through Ben Vorlich, followed by four circular pipelines leading to to the Loch Sloy power station at Inveruglas on the side of Loch Lomond. A surge shaft was incorporated in Ben Vorlich.

The generating sets consist of four vertical shaft Francis turbines each coupled to a 32,500 kW alternator. Delays due to adverse weather continued and transport problems for the heavy equipment which was finally installed by 1950. When fully loaded the turbines pass a million gallons of water per minute.

Information from NRHE item catalogue number WP007424 compiled by George Walker in 2005.