Engineering & Science
Lochaber
At the height of the first stage, the project employed some 3,000 navvies and tradesmen on the building of the works, pipelines and hydro-electric station, excavating and lining of the tunnel, and constructing a network of railways running to 21 miles.
The second stage of the scheme, involved building the monumental Loch Laggan Dam, standing 130 feet high and 700 feet long, and a 400 feet dam across Loch Treig with a 2 ¾ miles long tunnel connecting the two, along with augmenting the capacity of the power house and aluminium factory and adding the carbon factory.
The final stage- completed in 1943 by the 1st Tunnelling Company of the Canadian Army- channelled the headwaters of the Spey, via Loch Crunachan and a two-mile man-made tunnel, into Loch Laggan extending the catchment area still further.
By the time the project was completed it had cost the Company over £5 million. However, its success lay not only in its expansion of BACo’s primary aluminium output, but was also deployed as an example by advocates of Highland development and hydro-electric power of the viability and desirability of harnessing natural water resources.
Content Copyright © 2007 Dr Andrew Perchard, Alcan Aluminium UK and courtesy of Glasgow University Archives
