The first major hydro-electric scheme to be built in Scotland since its 1950s and 1960s heyday has been planned for Glendoe, on the steep, southern shores of Loch Ness. Almost all of the GBP 85 million project will be underground, with the only visible feature being a dam on a reservoir high up in a narrow and rugged glen in the Monadhliath mountains, to the south of the loch. Scottish and Southern Energy have lodged a planning application with the Scottish Executive for a project that would take four years to complete and create 400 jobs during construction. The power station’s capacity has yet to be determined but is likely to be as high as 100 MW, making it possibly the third largest of SSE’s 54 hydro-electric stations. Situated at the SE corner of Loch Ness, it would produce about 150 million units of green electricity in a year of average rainfall – enough for almost 40,000 homes. The company said the new reservoir would sit at the head of Glen Tarff in the Glendoe forest, with a 35m-high and 1000m-long dam.
