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101-583: Striven Hydro-Electric Scheme is a small-scale hydro-electric power station, built by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and commissioned in 1951. It is located near Ardtaraig on the Cowal Peninsula , part of Argyll and Bute , west of Scotland. It is sometimes known as the Cowal Hydro-Electric Scheme . It was originally designed to supply power to the remote communities on the peninsula, but

202-596: A capacity of 7.1 GWh. There were two steam power stations in 1958. There were nine diesel fuelled power stations in 1958. The supply of electricity was through the Highland Grid operating at 132 kV. In 1958 this comprised 1,630 circuit miles with 31 substations. The total length of all mains was 17,369 circuit miles. By April 1989 there were 1,053 miles (1,694 km) of 275 kV lines; 2,115 miles (3,403 km) of 132 kV lines; and 27,550 miles (44,340 km) of lines operating at less than 132 kV. Supply to customers

303-474: A capacity of four million units (kilowatt-hours per year) to huge schemes such as that at Glen Affric, with a capacity of 440 million units. The capacity of all the schemes combined was estimated to be 6,274 million units, which was considerably more than the 4,000 million units suggested by the Cooper Committee. MacColl wanted to ensure that no scheme could later be rejected because it had not been included in

404-563: A fort complex at Dunagoil. The Kingarth sun circle is estimated to be around 3000 years old. A well known artifact is the Queen of the Inch necklace, which is an article of jewellery made of jet found in a cist that dates from circa 2000 BC. Bute was absorbed into the Cenél Comgaill of Dál Riata and colonised by Gaelic peoples. Saint Maccai (died 460) was said to have founded a monastery on

505-575: A model of terse, constructive and courageous draftsmanship.' It argued that state policy had for over twenty years discouraged or prohibited private enterprise from developing the water resources of the Highlands, and had failed to produce its own strategy, resulting in deepening depression gripping the region. It suggested that the only realistic solution was a new public body called the North of Scotland Hydro-electric Board to initiate and develop schemes, including

606-530: A noise reduction programme in June 1995, with acoustic consultants Spectrum managing a project to reduce the noise made by the Francis turbine, and noise in the turbine house generally. The turbine was refurbished in 2002. The surface level of Loch Tarsan is 407 feet (124 m) above Ordnance datum (AOD), it covers 0.40 square miles (1.04 km), and drains an area of 3.84 square miles (9.95 km). GlenTarsan Burn,

707-490: A permanent office in Rothesay Terrace, Edinburgh a few weeks later. MacColl knew how to build up new organisations, and assembled a group of enthusiastic engineers around him, all of whom were relatively young. It was a fairly small team, and they were always over-worked. MacColl then invited five engineers, drawn from major engineering consultancies, to consider how the aims of the act could be implemented. This constituted

808-453: A result of outward migration. He emphasised that surplus power would be sold to the national grid, to defray the costs of distribution in remote rural areas, and that the new Board would be responsible for economic development and social improvement of large swathes of the Highlands. Despite the clear vision of the original report, large numbers of checks were added to the bill, requiring parliamentary approval at every stage of implementation, to

909-421: A site associated with Saint Catan and Saint Blane , who was born on Bute. Another ruined chapel, dating from the 6th century, lies at St Ninian's Point . The eccentric Mount Stuart House is often cited as one of the world's most impressive neo-Gothic mansions, bringing many architectural students from Glasgow on day trips. The third Marquess had a passion for art, astrology , mysticism, and religion, and

1010-594: A whole growing by 4% to 103,702 for the same period. The name "Bute" is of uncertain origin. Watson and Mac an Tàilleir support a derivation from Old Irish bót ("fire"), perhaps in reference to signal fires . This reference to beacon fires may date from the Viking period, when the island was probably known to the Norse as Bót . Other possible derivations include Brittonic budh ("corn"), "victory", St Brendan , or both , his monastic cell . There

1111-460: Is North Bute Primary in Port Bannatyne. The third primary school, St Andrews Primary, is a Catholic School aligned with St Andrew's Church, the only Catholic Church on the predominantly Protestant island. Bute has many sports clubs and activities available. There are three golf courses: Rothesay Golf Club, Kingarth Golf Club and Port Bannatyne Golf Club. The most successful sporting club on

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1212-406: Is also another route that runs from Loch Fad to Loch Lomond, however this route has not been set into action. This route is also run by Loch Lomond Seaplanes. The island has one secondary school, Rothesay Academy , which moved to a new modern joint campus with Rothesay Primary in 2007. The largest of the island's three primary schools is Rothesay Primary. The smallest school (with roughly 50 pupils)

1313-603: Is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, United Kingdom. It is divided into highland and lowland areas by the Highland Boundary Fault . Formerly a constituent island of the larger County of Bute , it is now part of the council area of Argyll and Bute . Bute's resident population was 6,498 in 2011, a decline of just over 10% from the figure of 7,228 recorded in 2001 against a background of Scottish island populations as

1414-460: Is as follows. All are of Carboniferous age except the Bute Conglomerate, which is late Devonian and separated from the overlying Kinnesswood sandstones and mudstones by an unconformity . A couple of thin coal seams are recorded within the volcanic sequence inland of Ascog. The centre of the island is cut by a couple of east–west trending late Carboniferous dykes of quartz-microgabbro and

1515-581: Is callit the castle of Kames, quhilk Kames in Erishe is alsmeikle as to say in English the bay Castle. In this ile ther is twa paroche kirks, that ane southe callit the kirk of Bride, the uther northe in the Borrowstone of Buitt, with twa chappells, ane of them above the towne of Buitt, the uther under the forsaid castle of Kames. Under Scottish Rule, Bute and Arran were governed as a unit, the shrievalty aligning with

1616-513: Is collected from the foothills of the Cruach nan Cuilean mountain to the north-west of the power station. There is a small dam on the Tamhnich Burn close to a hill called Tom a' Chodail. An open aqueduct, marked as a conduit on maps, runs from there eastwards following the 490-foot (150 m) contour, before turning to the north and entering a tunnel through A' Cruach. It emerges as a pipeline close to

1717-498: Is no likely derivation from Ptolemy 's Ebudae . The island was also known during the Viking era as Rothesay , possibly referring to the personal name Roth or Roderick and the Old Norse suffix ey ("island"). This name was eventually taken by the main town on the island, whose Gaelic name is Baile Bhòid ("town of Bute"). Bute lies in the Firth of Clyde . The only town on

1818-529: Is now connected to the National Grid . The North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board was created by the Hydro-electric Development (Scotland) Act 1943, a measure championed by the politician Tom Johnston while he was Secretary of State for Scotland. Johnston's vision was for a public body that could build hydro-electric stations throughout the Highlands. Profits made by selling bulk electricity to

1919-573: Is played at Port Bannatyne; boules may be hired from the Post Office there. The centre for sailing on Bute is at Port Bannatyne with two boatyards and the new marina, and a club which organises private moorings in these particularly protected waters of Kames Bay. There is Bute Sailing School with its own yacht. There is a Kayak and SUP hire centre operating from the Old Quay in Kilchattan Bay during

2020-540: Is “closer to the central belt” for medical support. These newcomers have proven to the community that they mean business, by starting up highly successful shops. In 2019, The Buteman , the island's weekly newspaper, closed after 165 years due to a fall in readership. This was replaced by the Isle of Bute News, run by the Dunoon Observer . The island has a ruined 12th-century chapel called St Blane's chapel which stands on

2121-521: The Devensian ice age. Till derived from the ice age is widespread inland while isolated peat deposits particularly in the north. Alluvium floors numerous stream valleys. Small areas of blown sand are to be found landward of some sandy bays. Evidence of early occupation exists in the form of cairns at the north end of the isle, such as the long cairn or Cairnbaan and the white cairn at Lenihuline Wood. Other prehistoric structures are to be found such as

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2222-594: The Electricity Commission , fishery boards, local authorities, estate owners and even the Royal Scottish Automobile Club. The committee published their report on 15 December 1942, and it was quite remarkable, not least for its clarity and lack of ambiguity. It was systematic, analytical and realistic, causing Johnson to tell the House of Commons that it was 'by common consent, a masterly production and

2323-571: The Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746 and counties formally created, on shrieval boundaries, by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 , Bute and Arran became the County of Bute . Later reforms merged Bute, without Arran, into the wider region of Argyll and Bute . Bute played a major role during World War II , and its naval involvements were especially significant. HMS Cyclops

2424-505: The National Trust for Scotland , to make the Board's job more difficult. The final report acknowledged the serious objections to the scheme, and examined them against the public interest. It stated that the scheme must stand or fall as a whole, and that despite some possible damage to amenities, the project should proceed. Following the decision of the tribunal, an order to confirm the scheme

2525-581: The UK electricity supply industry was nationalised in 1948, the board took over the assets of the Grampian Electricity Supply Company and other bodies producing electricity in the northern part of Scotland, these were: Campbeltown and Mid-Argyll, Crieff, Dunoon and District, Loch Leven, North of Scotland, Peterhead, Stornoway, Thurso and District, Dundee, Aberdeen, Perth, Inverness, Buckie, Lossiemouth, Branderburgh and Oban Corporations. One of

2626-677: The Water Framework Directive because of hydro-electric schemes. Most had failed to reach good status by 2015, which was a key component of the directive. They estimated the quantities of compensation water that would be needed, and the amount by which electricity generation would be reduced if this amount of water was regularly discharged to maintain river habitats. For the Glentarsan Burn, they estimated that 10.88 Megalitres per day (Mld) would be needed, and that this would reduce energy production by 1.119 GWh per year, while for

2727-460: The 12th century, the island, along with Arran, was granted by David I to Somerled, Lord of Argyll, Kintyre and Lorne . At about the turn of the 13th century, Bute appears to have come into possession of the family of the Steward of Scotland , during a time of internal strife amongst Somerled's descendants. During the 13th century, Bute was the target of two Norwegian attempts to reassert authority in

2828-636: The 1930s; and John A. Cameron of the Scottish Land Court . Prior to the committee meeting, Cooper was sceptical of its aims, believing that most of the feasible hydro-electric schemes in Scotland had been explored by the Snell Committee, which met between 1918 and 1921. With the exception of the Glen Affric scheme and the West Highland scheme, both of which had failed to gain parliamentary approval,

2929-445: The 1943 Act because its scope was too limited. The deputy chairman and chief executive was Edward MacColl , an engineer with wide experience of hydro-electric projects and electrical distribution networks. It soon became clear that MacColl intended to push ahead with the aspirations of the Act at breakneck speeds. He produced a list of 102 potential sites in just three months, and in June 1944,

3030-477: The 1960s. By 1968 the installed capacity of all conventional hydro-electric power stations operated by North of Scotland Board was 1047.06 MW, and the total average annual output was 2911.4 GWh. See main article: Cruachan Power Station The Cruachan power station (also known as the Cruachan Dam) is a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station commissioned in 1965. It can provide 440 MW of power and has

3131-518: The 460-foot (140 m) contour and continues northwards, descending to around 312 feet (95 m) to join another pipeline, descending from further west. This collects water from several tributaries of the Balliemore Burn, although the intakes are not shown of Ordnance Survey maps. The pipeline continues down to the valley floor, passing under the B836 road and over the Balliemore Burn, to deliver water to

Striven Hydro-Electric Scheme - Misplaced Pages Continue

3232-714: The Amenity Committee, the Fishery Committee and the Electricity Commissioners, the Loch Sloy scheme was opposed by several county councils and some private individuals, raising the same issues that had prevented development of hydro-electric power in the Highlands for many years. An inquiry, chaired by John Cameron KC, was held in Edinburgh, which lasted for six days. The Board had done themselves no favours by moving

3333-564: The Ardmaleish Boatbuilding Company, Bute Fabrics Ltd, (an international weaver of contemporary woollen fabrics for upholstery and vertical applications.) In December 2015, Bute became home to about 100 Syrians making the island one of the largest recipients of these refugees in the UK relative to its population. Argyll and Bute council stated that the island was chosen as a suitable location because it had “available social housing” and

3434-510: The Bailliemore Burn the extra compensation flow would be 2 Mld, reducing production by a further 0.219 GWh per year. This amounts to a reduction of about six per cent, since the scheme produces around 22 GWh per year. [REDACTED] Media related to Striven hydro-electric scheme at Wikimedia Commons North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board In the 1930s several schemes were proposed to develop hydro-electric power in

3535-658: The Caledonian Water Power bill was defeated in Parliament. This would have allowed a private company to build hydro-electric schemes in the Highlands, and its defeat was welcomed by the Inverness Courier , whose editorial proclaimed: The opponents of [the Bill] have been falsely represented as being opposed to the development of water power and the introduction of industry in every shape and form. Nothing could be further from

3636-581: The Clyde Plateau Volcanic Formation. These occur north of Ascog, northeast of Scalpsie, and south of Kilchattan Bay. The metamorphic rocks of the Dalradian sequence are divided locally into a couple of groups , themselves subdivided into formations , each of which contains ‘ members ’. The youngest strata are at the top of the list: The Palaeozoic sedimentary and extrusive igneous sequence in stratigraphic order (i.e. youngest at top)

3737-595: The Coal Owners Association, who had a powerful influence in Parliament. By the time it was put before Parliament, Johnson had obtained cross party support from eight Cabinet Ministers, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Kingsley Wood . At its second reading in the House of Commons, Johnson stated that the bill was a 'partial remedy' for the malaise of the Highlands, which was 'rapidly bleeding to death' as

3838-658: The Committee on Hydro-Electric Development in Scotland was set up, although it was generally known as the Cooper Committee, after its chairman Lord Cooper . Other members of the committee were William Douglas Weir , an engineer who had helped to plan Britain's national power grid in the 1920s; Neil Beaton , chairman of the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society ; James Williamson, a civil engineer who had been involved with hydro-electric schemes in Galloway in

3939-527: The Development Scheme. Guthrie Brown, one of the Panel of Technical Advisers, later wrote of his amazement at MacColl's detailed knowledge of so vast an area and its potential for water power. While Johnston was still fighting the political battle to save the Board from Lloyd George's reorganisations, MacColl wanted to begin building a scheme to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Board. He chose Loch Sloy as

4040-517: The Electricity Commissioners approved the scheme on 7 February 1945, but the Amenity Committee and the Fisheries Committee both wanted parts of it omitted. When it was published by the Secretary of State, there were 25 formal objections, with Perthshire County Council, riparian owners and the residents of Pitlochry leading the opposition. Johnston decided that a tribunal was necessary to consider

4141-657: The Highland Division when they returned from war, rather than Irish navvies. The necessary legal powers were granted by the Hydro-Electric Development (Scotland) Act 1943 ( 6 & 7 Geo. 6 . c. 32), which was passed on 5 August 1943. In September 1943, the names of the five board members were announced. Four were jointly appointed by the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister of Fuel and Power . The fifth

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4242-434: The House of Lords about the costs of Scottish hydro-electricity. Lord Strathclyde stated that for Striven, the capital cost of the project was £356 per kW, towards the higher end of the 27 schemes mentioned, and considerably higher than the average cost of £175 per kW. The scheme was the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board's Constructional Scheme No. 4 and No. 69, and the first stage was commissioned in 1951. Payne states that

4343-700: The Isles. For instance, Rothesay Castle fell to a Norwegian-backed King of the Isles in 1230, and fell again to the Norwegians in 1263. In 1266, the Norwegian king, Magnus VI , ceded the Kingdom of the Isles to the Scottish king, Alexander III , in return for a very large sum of money, by the Treaty of Perth . Alexander Stewart had been the chief military commander of Scottish forces, and

4444-619: The Minister for Fuel and Power, led a committee which considered how electricity supply could be rationalised in Britain. Johnson argued that his proposals would destroy the principles of the 1943 act, and eventually ensured that the Hydro-Electric Board was excluded from them. Some initial work under the act was carried out by civil servants, but the board took office in January 1944, and moved into

4545-601: The Panel of Technical Advisers, and they became an important and permanent part of the board's activities for fifteen years. The headquarters of the board in Rothesay Terrace, Edinburgh were located outside the board's operating area. The 1943 act specified the management board was to comprise a chairman and not less than four and not more than eight members. The board in 1958 comprised Thomas Johnston (chairman), Sir Hugh Mackenzie (deputy chairman), Sir John Erskine, Sir George McGlashan, A. I. Mackenzie, A. Macrae, I. A. Duncan Millar, William Hughes, and John Jardine. When

4646-404: The Scottish lowlands would be used to fund "the economic development and social improvement of the North of Scotland." Private consumers would be offered a supply of cheap electricity, and their connection to that supply would not reflect the actual cost of its provision in remote and sparsely-populated areas. The chairman of the new Board was to be Lord Airlie , who had initially been critical of

4747-467: The Scottish mainland by two Caledonian MacBrayne ferries: During summer, the paddle steamer Waverley calls at Rothesay on regular cruises. There is a regular bus service along the eastern coast road, and a daily service connecting the island with Argyll and the western Highlands and Islands. Many independent holidaymakers use the island as a stepping stone from Glasgow and Ayrshire to western Scotland using this route. In summer an open-top bus tours

4848-601: The Tirpitz was masterminded. Much of the training of X-craft submariners was undertaken in the waters around Bute, and especially in the secluded waters of Loch Striven to the north of Port Bannatyne. Bute at War . Bute accommodated many officers and NCOs of the Polish Armed Forces in the West . Officially a military camp, it was unofficially thought of as a prison for Władysław Sikorski 's political enemies. On 2 July 2018,

4949-650: The board was first constituted it owned only two power stations: the oil-fired stations at Kirkwall on Orkney and Rothesay on the Isle of Bute . The following hydro-electric stations were operational prior to nationalisation. Some were transferred to the South of Scotland Board. The principal schemes constructed by the board were: In 1958 the following hydro-electric stations were in operation: Hydro-electric power stations under construction in 1958 were: The following additional hydro-electric stations were commissioned in

5050-493: The buildings themselves. With a steeply pitched roof and large rectangular windows, Striven turbine house looks almost ecclesiastical, and fits in well with other buildings in the locality. The Glentarsan Burn drained a large area to the east of the power station site, and a water supply was provided by building Tarsan Dam across the valley, to create Loch Tarsan. The dam is around 1,000 feet (300 m) long and 90 feet (27 m) high. To prevent water overflowing down Glen Lean as

5151-470: The case for the Tummel–;Garry scheme and to explain the way in which the board operated. There were some who felt that there was no need for hydro-electric power at all, because it would soon be superseded by atomic power. In summary, Lord Westwood, the leader of the house, spoke in favour of the Board and Lord Kinnaird's motion was rejected, allowing the Board to continue. Lord Westwood also stated during

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5252-442: The chapel, generating intense media interest. Activities and workshops are often held there in the summer by a local organisation that provides after-school clubs and activities in the school holidays; there is also a farmers' market and a Christmas market held in the house and in the visitor centre. In 2016, a previously uncatalogued copy of Shakespeare's First Folio was authenticated in the Mount Stuart House library. The Pavilion

5353-406: The comital jurisdiction . The latter merged into the crown, as a result of Alexander Stewart's great-grandson, Robert , inheriting the throne via his mother . A corresponding title, Duke of Rothesay was created by Robert's son for the heir apparent , without landlordship of the land. Robert had already granted the sheriffdom to his bastard son , heritably; consequently, in the early 18th century,

5454-460: The construction of three dams, the first near Trinafour to create Loch Errochty along the course of a stream called Errochty Water, a tributary of the River Garry . This would feed a power station near the head of Loch Tummel . The second dam would be built across the River Tummel upstream of the Falls of Tummel, and would feed Clunie power station, located below the falls. The level of Loch Tummel would be 17 feet (5.2 m) higher. The third dam

5555-419: The debate that all objections to the Fannich scheme, on the River Conon in Ross-shire , had been withdrawn, and the scheme would therefore proceed. The board's generating capacity was mainly provided by the construction of "schemes" of linked hydro-electric stations, with multiple generators located across one or more catchment area . There were also steam driven and diesel engine driven power stations. When

5656-414: The distribution of power in areas where there was no existing supply network. Johnson worked hard to ensure that the report would be well received. He talked to many people across the political spectrum, attempting to disarm potential opponents. Civil servants working for the Scottish Office also worked to understand potential opposition to the scheme, noting that the most likely group to oppose it would be

5757-416: The dungeon at Rothesay Castle, left without food or water, and died from starvation. Other instances are recorded but the most fervent activity occurred during the Great Scottish Witch Hunt of 1661–62 when at least four Bute witches were executed; one woman who was convicted at that time escaped but the sentence was enacted when she returned to the island in 1673. When the comital powers were abolished by

5858-427: The extent that James Henderson-Stewart of East Fife, who represented the Liberal National Party, moved an amendment to attempt to free the Board from such bureaucratic interference, arguing that if Parliament was not going to trust the Board to do its job, then they should not set it up in the first place. His amendment was later withdrawn when the Lord Advocate agreed to amend the bill at its committee stage, based on

5959-434: The first constructional scheme was published. This was for the Loch Sloy scheme , which had a ready market for bulk supplies to nearby Clydeside, but it included two smaller schemes, to demonstrate the Board's commitment to supplying remote areas. Striven was another small-scale scheme, and when it was commissioned in 1951, it supplied power to the remote communities of the Cowal peninsula. The turbine house and cottages for

6060-551: The first constructional scheme. The loch had been the proposed site of a 360 MegaWatt pumped storage scheme in 1935, which had been rejected by Parliament, and the new scheme was for a conventional hydro-electric station with a lower capacity of 130 MW. The plans included two smaller projects, at Loch Morar and Kyle of Lochalsh , which were probably included to demonstrate the Board's commitment to providing power to remote communities, even though on their own these two projects would not have been economically viable. Despite approval by

6161-430: The first responsibilities was to produce a Development Scheme. This would detail the available water resources in their area of operation, which had the potential to later become 'constructional schemes'. MacColl pressed on at breakneck speed, and within three months they had a list of 102 sites with potential for development. These ranged in size from small, such as one utilising Loch nan Gillean (Plockton) and streams, with

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6262-439: The house reflects this in the architecture, furnishings, and art collection. There is a marble chapel, much stained glass, and walls of paintings. The house is open at Easter and from May to October. There are gardens with plants imported from many parts of the world and a visitor centre. The gardens host a number of events throughout the year starting with an Easter Parade. In 2003 the fashion designer Stella McCartney married in

6363-401: The island contains most of the cultivated land, while the island's most rugged terrain is found in the far south around Glen Callum . Loch Fad is Bute's largest body of freshwater and runs along the fault line. The western side of Bute is known for its beaches, many of which enjoy fine views over the Sound of Bute towards Arran and Bute's smaller satellite island Inchmarnock . Hamlets on

6464-491: The island is Bute Shinty Club who play at the highest level of shinty (the Marine Harvest Premier League). In 2006, Bute won promotion to the Premier League by winning the South Division One. Bute also won the Ballimore Cup and were runners-up in the Glasgow Celtic Society Cup in 2006. The local amateur football team are known as the Brandanes , and the junior team are the Brandane Bulls. Bute also has facilities for fishing, rugby , tennis, bowls , and cricket . Pétanque

6565-514: The island leaving from Guildford Square by the ferry at 1030, 1200, 1430, and 1600. The main ferry to the island leaves from Wemyss Bay, a village on the A78 , the coast road between Glasgow and Ayr. Wemyss Bay is connected with trains running to Glasgow Central station . On the same line is Paisley Gilmor Street which has easy walking access to Glasgow Airport . There is an ad hoc link between Glasgow Pacific Quay and Port Bannatyne Marina by Loch Lomond Seaplanes, journey time 17 minutes. There

6666-409: The island was shocked by the murder and rape of 6-year-old girl Alesha MacPhail after she was taken from her bed by a 16-year-old male. The 16-year-old, Aaron Campbell, was caught, charged and convicted, and given a life sentence. Several major wildfires started on 18–19 April 2019 in the north of the island, involving a substantial area of moorland and conifer plantation. Bute is connected with

6767-422: The island, Rothesay , ( NS087645 ) is linked by ferry to the mainland. To its north is the coastal village of Port Bannatyne ; hamlets on the island include Ascog , Kilchattan Bay , and Kingarth . The interior of the island is hilly, though not mountainous, with conifer plantations and some uncultivated land, particularly in the north. The highest point is Windy Hill at 278 metres (912 ft). The centre of

6868-400: The island. Other well known Gaelic missionaries associated with the island of the 5th and 6th centuries include Cathan whilst the Irish Text Martyrology of Tallaght makes a reference to Blane , the Bishop of Kingarth on Bute, "in Gall-Ghàidheil ". The island subsequently fell under Norse control and formed part of the Kingdom of the Isles , ruled by the Crovan dynasty . However, in

6969-408: The latter's senior descendant acquired the (non-comital) title Earl of Bute . The "McCurdy" clan hailed from the Isle of Bute before they left, eventually settling in the States of New York and Pennsylvania after the potato famine of the 16th century. During the seventeenth century, there were accusations of witchcraft : in 1630 an unknown number of women confessed to the crime and were confined in

7070-597: The name was later changed to Scottish Hydro-Electric plc . The board was dissolved in March 1990 and privatised in June 1991. The company's head office was moved from Edinburgh to Perth. A further name change to Scottish and Southern Energy plc was made in December 1998 after the merger with Southern Electric plc . The brand name "Scottish Hydro-Electric" continues to be used for the company's Scottish business. Isle of Bute The Isle of Bute ( Scots : Buit ; Scottish Gaelic : Eilean Bhòid or An t-Eilean Bòdach ), known as Bute ( / b juː t / ),

7171-442: The north of Scotland. These met with opposition by landowners, sporting interest and the coal mining industry on the grounds of competition. There was also opposition from official sources. Plans to build a power station at Kinlochleven for the benefit of the aluminium industry were shelved when Inverness County Council refused to allow water from the River Spey and River Laggan to cross the county border into Argyllshire . In 1938,

7272-709: The north of this line are metamorphosed sandstones and mudstones (i.e. psammites and pelites ) which constitute the Southern Highland Group of the Dalradian . To its south are the conglomerates , sandstones, mudstones and siltstones of the Devonian age Stratheden Group (a division of the Old Red Sandstone ) and of the Carboniferous age Inverclyde Group . Associated with the latter are Carboniferous extrusive igneous rocks , mainly lavas and tuffs of

7373-402: The north-west side of Glen Lean, where intakes intercept streams that drain the foothills of Sgorach Mòr. Both feed into the reservoir near Col Dam, while another conduit collects water from Garbh Allt Mòr and another un-named stream close to Tarsan Dam. From a valve tower at Tarsan Dam, a pressure tunnel carries water through the hills to the north-west of the dam, and a surface pipeline completes

7474-480: The objections raised during the debate. The bill was received enthusiastically in the House of Lords, where it was presented by Lord Alness. There was widespread support for the measures, and particular praise for Tom Johnson. Lord Airlie stated that speed was important, as residents were unlikely to remain content with the economic depression of the region for long. Finally, Lord Lovat appealed that when projects were implemented, they should use Scottish workers from

7575-460: The objections, and John Cameron was joined by Sir Robert Bryce Walker and Major G H M Brown Lindsay. It began on 25 May 1945 and lasted for ten days, with the transcript of the proceedings running to 1,188 pages. MacColl was unable to speak, as he was ill, and Lord Airlie was savaged by those opposing the scheme. In desperation, he asked the question, "Do the people of this country want electricity or do they not?" Lord Airlie recovered his composure for

7676-486: The only schemes left to pursue were small and unlikely to be viable. He initially dismissed the subsequent Hilleary Report as amateurish, but careful study of it convinced him that some action could be taken. Despite the wartime conditions, the committee devoted the first half of 1942 to researching existing documentation and consulting with a wide range of organisations, including the Central Electricity Board ,

7777-532: The post, while the war lasted. Like the Inverness Courier, Johnston did not want private enterprise to be managing national resources, and had voted against the Caledonian Water Power bill in 1938. When another bill for a hydro-electric scheme in Glen Affric was put forward in September 1941, it was defeated, and Johnston announced that the government had its own plans for water power in the Highlands. In October,

7878-656: The power station. The scheme was designed to serve residents on the Cowal Peninsula, together with the Isle of Bute and the Isle of Cumbrae . At the time, the population was 25,400, spread over an area of 508 square miles (1,320 km). In order to achieve this, some 250 miles (400 km) of overhead high- and low-voltage power lines were constructed. The Isle of Bute was supplied by 22 kV submarine cables, and another submarine cable, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long and operating at 11 kV connected Bute to Cumbrae. In early 1957, Lord Lucas of Chilworth asked questions in

7979-511: The river below Tarsan Dam, is not normally supplied with compensation water from the reservoir. In 2011 the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) held a consultation on the effects on water quality where rivers had been modified by the construction of hydro-electric dams. The Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board made a response, which looked at all of the Scottish rivers classified as heavy modified water bodies under

8080-445: The route to the turbine house. The pressure tunnel is around 4,000 feet (1,200 m) long and has a cross section which is horse-shoe shaped. It is fully lined, and around 6.5 feet (2.0 m) in width. This provides a head of 400 feet (120 m) to the horizontal Francis turbines in the turbine house, which is located next to the B836 road on the shores of Loch Striven, to the north of the hamlet of Ardtaraig . Additional water

8181-467: The scheme was in the public interest. He stated that the Secretary of State should approve the scheme, and Tom Johnston as Secretary of State did so. No further objections were received while it was before Parliament, and the Loch Sloy scheme was authorised on 28 March 1945. The second constructional scheme was the Tummel–Garry scheme, which included a much smaller project for a power station at Kerry Falls near Gairloch. The main scheme would involve

8282-524: The scheme, and Colonel Errol, the member for Althincham and Sale , was particularly lucid as he proclaimed that the Scottish Lowlands and England were going to pay for cheap power for the Highlands. He also wondered whether those who would no longer visit the River Tummel might be outnumbered by those who came to see the engineering works, and he reminded the house that everyone connected with the scheme

8383-448: The second day of the hearing, and was followed by technical experts, including Thomas Lawrie, who spoke in place of MacColl, and J Guthrie Brown, who spoke eloquently on every aspect of the civil engineering works. The objectors had their say from the end of day six onwards, and predicted that the amenities of the area would be destroyed by the scheme. It also became clear on day nine that a number of riparian owners had donated waterfalls to

8484-474: The shortest, less than 300 metres (330 yd), and takes only a few minutes but is busy because many tourists prefer the scenic route to the island. North Bute forms part of the Kyles of Bute National Scenic Area , one of 40 in Scotland. Bute straddles the divide between highland and lowland Scotland with the Highland Boundary Fault cutting NNE-SSW through the island between Rothesay Bay and Scalpsie Bay . To

8585-433: The site of the dam after the original plans were published, but Cameron was sympathetic to their cause, and handled attempts to scuttle the plans skillfully. Some of the county councils withdrew their opposition during the hearing, but Dumbarton Council persisted with their claim that they needed Loch Sloy for domestic water supply. Cameron decided that their development plans were too optimistic to be achievable, and ruled that

8686-425: The staff were designed by the architect Reginald Fairlie , who was one of the architectural advisors for the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board. The Board appointed three Scottish architects to act as architectural advisors in 1943, and their role was to judge competitive entries submitted by others, but by 1947 this model had been abandoned, and Fairlie, together with James Shearer and Harold Tarbolton designed

8787-551: The summer holidays. The Mount Stuart Trust owns 28,000 acres (11,000 hectares) on the island: as of 2012 , the trust was wholly controlled by five members of the Marquess of Bute 's family, plus an accountant and lawyer, none of whom lived on Bute. As of 2019 , all 12 of the trust's directors had addresses outside the island. Farming and tourism are the main industries on the island, along with fishing and forestry . Privately owned businesses include Port Bannatyne Marina and Boat Yard,

8888-529: The truth. What we ... maintain is that there shall be no further development of the water power resources of the Highlands until a Committee is set up by the Government to enquire into [how] ... these water resources should be developed for the benefit of the Highlands. When World War II broke out, Tom Johnston , who had been a member of Parliament since the 1920s, was appointed as Regional Commissioner for Civil Defence for Scotland. In 1941, Winston Churchill , who

8989-583: The turbine could produce 6 MW, but more recent accounts state that it can produce 8 MW, with the reservoir providing a head of 404 feet (123 m). The power station ran in its original form for around 45 years, although ownership changed in 1989/90, when the electricity industry was privatised, and all of the assets of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board passed to Scottish Hydro-Electric . The company merged with Southern Electric in 1998, to become Scottish and Southern Energy , which since 2010 has been known as SSE . The new owners commissioned

9090-535: The water levels rose, Col Dam was constructed at the head of Glen Lean, thus giving Loch Tarsan a triangular shape. A large number of small streams which drain the foothills of the surrounding peaks combine in Glen Tarsan to feed the reservoir. These are supplemented by an aqueduct, which collects water from the Corrachaive Glen and several streams that would otherwise drain into Glen Lean. A second conduit runs along

9191-499: The western side of the island include Straad, around St. Ninian's Bay, and Kildavanan on Ettrick Bay. In the north, Bute is separated from the Cowal peninsula by the Kyles of Bute . The northern part of the island is more sparsely populated, and the ferry terminal at Rhubodach connects the island to the mainland at Colintraive by the smaller of the island's two ferries. The crossing is one of

9292-457: The whole island by a much more numerous swarm of Palaeogene age microgabbro dykes aligned NNW-SSE in the north but also WSW-ESE and NNE-SSW in the south. sills and other intrusive bodies are present in the extreme south. Raised beaches are present around most of Bute's coastline, lying around 8m above current sea levels. Higher marine platforms with partial cover of sand and gravel are recognised further inland, dating from earlier parts of

9393-481: Was Scottish. When a vote was taken, annulment of the order was rejected by 248 votes to 63. Lord Kinnaird was persuaded not to introduce a similar motion to annul the order in the House of Lords, and so the Tummel–Garry scheme was authorised on 19 November 1945. However, Lord Kinnaird introduced a debate on the operation of the Hydro-Electric Development Act, at which Lord Airlie was able to put

9494-505: Was a nominee of the Central Electricity Board , and a member of that board. The chairman was to be David Ogilvy, the Earl of Airlie . He had worked with Johnson when they had been in charge of civil defence, and had initially been critical of the 1943 act because its scope was too limited. The deputy chairman and chief executive was Edward MacColl , an engineer with wide experience of hydro-electric projects and electrical distribution networks. His

9595-481: Was by then Prime Minister, having failed to convince Johnston to accept a post in London, asked him to be Secretary of State for Scotland. He agreed, providing that he could form a Council of State consisting of all five of the former Secretaries of State who were still alive. If they could agree on an issue affecting Scotland, Johnston would look to Churchill to support the plan. He also did not want to receive any payment for

9696-428: Was now rewarded by Alexander (the king) by being confirmed in possession of Bute and Arran. In 1549, Dean Monro wrote of "Buitt" that it was: very fertyle ground, namelie for aitts, with twa strenthes; the ane is the round castle of Buitt, callit Rosay of the auld, and Borrowstone about it callit Buitt. Before the town and castle is ane bay of sea, quhilk is a gude heavin for ships to ly upon ankers. That uther castle

9797-418: Was placed before Parliament, but unlike previous schemes, there were attempts to annul the order. William Snadden, the member for Perth and Kinross lead the attack, claiming that "the beauty of the heart of Scotland will be forever broken." All of the issues that had been aired at the tribunal were raised again, and there were savage attacks on both the Board and on Lord Airlie. There were however supporters for

9898-600: Was the depot ship for the 7th Submarine Flotilla and was home-based in Rothesay Bay. A few miles further north at Port Bannatyne , the luxury 88-bedroom Kyles Hydro Hotel overlooking the Port, was requisitioned by the Admiralty to serve as the HQ for midget submarine (X-craft) operations. In particular, it was from here (hotel renamed HMS Varbel ) that the top secret and audacious attack on

9999-597: Was the only full-time post. Neil Beaton had previously been a member of the Cooper Committee, Hugh Mackenzie was the Provost of Inverness, and the final member was the Central Electricity Board nominee, Walter Whigham, who was also a director of the Bank of England . Ill health led to him being replaced by the engineer Sir Duncan Watson soon afterwards. Shortly after the conception of the board, Major Gwilym Lloyd George ,

10100-449: Was through 13 distribution areas. The areas' supply capacity and key data for 1956 were as follows: Key operating data for the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board is summarised in the table. The amount of electricity supplied by the board, in GWh, is shown on the graph. North of Scotland Electricity plc was formed in 1989 to acquire the board's assets ahead of privatisation , however

10201-492: Was to be built across the Tummel above Pitlochry , which would supply compensation water to maintain the flow in the river downstream as well as generating power. The Hydro-Electric Board were unsure whether to proceed at the time, because of the opposition to their previous scheme, but MacColl was adamant that they should fight to ensure the principles of the original Act of Parliament were not eroded. The Central Electricity Board and

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