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Glenlee Power Station
Power Station (20th Century)
Site Name Glenlee Power Station
Classification Power Station (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Glenlee Tunnel; Galloway Hydroelectric Scheme
Canmore ID 83160
Site Number NX68SW 68
NGR NX 60604 80552
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/83160
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Kells
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Stewartry
- Former County Kirkcudbrightshire
NX68SW 68.00 60604 80552
NX68SW 68.01 NX 60287 80264 to NX 60599 80543 Penstocks
NX68SW 68.02 NX 60120 80124 Surge tower
NX68SW 68.03 NX 60160 80048 Tip
NX68SW 68.04 Centred NX 60643 80521 Transformer Station
For adjacent (and associated) road bridge, see NX68SW 211.
For associated Clatteringshaws Loch (reservoir) and Dam (NX 5438 7517 to 5467 7550), see NX57NW 41.01.
For associated Glenlee (water supply) tunnel (NX5510 7779 to NX 6028 8026), see NX57NE 37.
For associated Earlstoun power station and dam (NX 6143 8240), see NX68SW 28.
Glenlee Power Station [NAT]
OS 1:10,000 map, 1982.
Glenlee Power Station: 1st stage of project
Average net head: 365ft (111m)
Catchment area: 49 sq miles (127 sq km)
Max. load: 24,000 kW [42% of 1st stage total: 24% of grand total]
Units per annum: 40 million [42% of 1st stage total: 22% of grand total]
No. of main turbines: 2
Glenlee power station: contractor, A M Carmichael.
Glenlee tail race: contractor, A M Carmichael.
[Glenlee] power station machinery and switch-gear: English Electric Company Ltd.
[Glenlee] power-house cranes: Clyde Crane and Engineering Company, Ltd.
[Glenlee] valves, gates, sluices etc. Glenfield and Kennedy Ltd.
[Glenlee] valves. Boving and Co Ltd.
[Glenlee] subsidiary valves. Guest and Chrimes Ltd.
Anon. 1934 ['Galloway Water Power Scheme'].
This station served as the control station for the Scheme as a whole.
(Detailed description of power generation equipment and switchgear).
English Electric Company Limited [post-1936].
Glenlee Power Station
Catchment area: 47.5 sq mi (123 sq km)
Average net head: 380 ft (115.9m)
Water consumption on full load at average head: 870 cusec
Number and size of units: 2x6000kW, 2x500kW
Gross volume of turbine room (incl. loading bay), above main floor level - total: 146,000 cu ft (4134.3 cu m)
Gross volume of turbine room (incl. loading bay), above main floor level - per kW: 5.8 cu ft (0.16 cu m)
Range of net heads: 346-415ft (105.5-126.5m)
No. of rating of generator sets installed: 2x12,000 kW
Turbine output: 16,800 hp
Specific speed: 35 rpm
Normal speed: 428.6 rpm
Runaway speed: 813 rpm
Water consumption per turbine on full load at average head: 435 cusecs
Diameter of runner: 5ft (1.52m)
Auxiliary sets: 2x500kW, water consumption 22 cusecs each
This power station is intended for manned operation.
Anon. 1938 ['Galloway Hydro-Electric Development'].
By Merz and McLellan, and Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners. This building was constructed in 1936 as part of the Galloway Hydro-electric Scheme.
J R Hume 2000.
This power station forms a major element of stage I of the Galloway Hydro-Electric Scheme, receiving its water supply from Clatteringshaws Loch (NX57NW 41.00) through the Glenlee tunnel (NX57NE 37).
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 21 October 2005.
Project (2007)
This project was undertaken to input site information listed in 'Civil engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' by R Paxton and J Shipway, 2007.
Publication Account (2007)
Glenlee Tunnel connects Clatteringshaws reservoir to Glenlee power station. Water is not drawn off from the
reservoir at the dam, but at the eastern side about 112 miles north of it. The tunnel has a total length of 3.6 miles and a flattened circle cross-section of 11 ft equivalent diameter.
It is concrete lined throughout and over the greater part of its length is constructed on a gradient of 1 in 350, the last 3600 ft being on a gradient of 1 in 100. At about its midpoint the tunnel passes under the Craigshinnie Burn, which is intercepted and its water led into the tunnel through one of the vertical driving shafts adapted for the purpose. There is a surge shaft on the tunnel close to the downstream portal at Glenlee.
A single steel pipe of maximum diameter 9 ft 6 in. and 1600 ft long joins the tunnel portal to the power station.
The main contractor for the tunnel construction was A. M. Carmichael and for the steel pipeline, Sir Wm. Arrol & Co. Ltd.
Since the 1970s the whole scheme has been controlled from Glenlee Power Station.
R Paxton and J Shipway 2007
Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' with kind permission from Thomas Telford Publishers.
Field Visit (2010)
This powerhouse houses two turbines using water from Clatteringshaws Loch which is diverted through the Glenlee Tunnel (NX57NE 37.00). Glenlee was one of the major stations in phase one of the Galloway scheme. The station was designed as the control centre for the scheme, and although with some alteration and addition of computer management systems it still houses the control room for the scheme. The station is an important part of the phase I development of the Galloway power scheme. The architectural design is a striking functionalist classicism which has remained relatively unaltered to the exterior. This design scheme is common to all of the powerhouses on the Galloway scheme, with Tongland providing the most prominent example of the style. A later building to the east of the powerhouse houses office space. P L Payne, 1988; E Wood, 2002; G Hill, 1984.
Desk Based Assessment (20 June 2012)
This report considers the cultural heritage implications of the construction of a proposed temporary tower to be erected to the east of the Glenlee substation, Dumfries & Galloway (at NX 604 808).
A desk-based study was undertaken in order to assess the potential cultural heritage sensitivity of the proposed development area. An area of 100m radius from the proposed location of the temporary tower was used as the study area. Five cultural heritage features have been identified within the study area. The proposal for the erection of a temporary tower has been assessed against the cultural heritage baseline. It is consideed that the development conforms to Local and National Policy relating to he cultural heritage resource.
Funder: Iberdrola
CFA Archaeology Ltd.
