Loch Shin: Bringing power to areas of the north

COLUMN: From the Archives

One of the most important developments in the Highlands during the last century was the implementation and construction of various hydro scheme projects, bringing power to areas of the north which previously had no electricity.

The scale and vision of the projects to build dams and generating stations across such a remote, sparsely populated area of Scotland is astounding.

Driven by the need to power the burgeoning aluminium industry, hydroelectricity changed both the landscape and the lives of people in the Highlands. The Highland Archive Centre holds collections relating to the companies that carried out these projects, including Sir Murdoch MacDonald Ltd.

The firm was founded in 1921, to offer a complete engineering service from original reconnaissance to operation and maintenance of large and small schemes. The collection contains reports, conditions of contract, maps and photographs. One such project represented in the collection is the Loch Shin Project.

The Conditions of Contract (1953) set out all aspects of the project – excavation, lining of tunnels, masonry, welding, carpentry and painting among others. Aside from workmanship, the conditions also dealt with recruitment and accommodation of the labour force.

Hundreds of construction workers had to be recruited from across the UK. The conditions also specify the living quarters of single and married workers. The single quarters for the Engineer’s staff would include the following accommodation: "an entrance porch, living room, dining room, bedrooms for the number of assistants stated, with additional rooms for the domestic staff, kitchen with suitable cooking arrangements, bathroom, W.C., larder and coal shed, complete with details similar to and as specified for the married quarters."

The camp quarters for sub-contractors and labourers comprised "single cubicle accommodation". The arrangements for catering stipulate that "in operating any wet canteen with such accommodation (…) the Contractor shall ensure that there is also a dry canteen made as attractive as the wet canteen, and that teas, soft drinks and light refreshments are available to workmen at the dry canteen or other suitable place. The license shall be for beer and porter only and no spirits shall be sold in the camps."

A section on poaching states, "The Contractor shall at all times prohibit his staff and workmen at the Site from poaching and trespassing and in the event of any of his staff and workmen being found poaching the Contractor shall remove the man from the Works without permission of the Engineer."

Photographs dated July 13, 1955 show the Tirry Bridge and Clais Charnach Shin Road Diversions. The lack of attire of some of the workmen indicates it was unusually good weather that summer!

This collection is available to view at the Highland Archive Centre. To book an appointment or for more information please contact us on archives@highlifehighland.com or 01349 781130.

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