In the thirty years after the end of the Second World War, the construction schemes of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electic Board changed the face of the Highlands and brought electricity to almost the whole of the country north of the Highland Line. Nothing on such a scale had been attempted before. Fired by the idealism of Tom Johnston, the Board's founder and Secretary of State for Scotland, the schemes brought regeneration and hope.
The names of the schemes – Loch Sloy, Glen Shira, Tummel-Garry, the Conon valley, Glen Affric, Strathfarrar-Kilmorack, Glenmoriston-Garry, Shin, Breadalbane, Ben Cruchan – are vivid in the memories of all who worked on them, in an epic of hard physical labour in a beautiful landscape. By the time the last scheme was opened in Foyers in 1975, the engineers had built some fifty major dams and power stations, almost 200 miles of tunnel, 400 miles of road, and over 20, 000 miles of power line.
The Board had to overcome adverse weather and thrawn geology, as well as political opposition. At the peak of construction the workforce numbered around 12, 000 and included men from Ireland and many parts of Europe as well as indigenous Scots. The Dam Builders: Power From the Glens is a vivid account of the schemes and includes eyewitness stories from many of the workers who made the elecrification of the Highlands a reality.
About the author
James Miller was born in Caithness and studied zoology in Aberdeen and marine biology in Montreal. After working for the British Council he became a full-time freelance writer. He has written a number of acclaimed books, including Scapa, The Dambuilders, The Foresters, Inverness and Swords for Hire.
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