Laggan Dam
Encyclopedia
Laggan Dam is a dam
located on the River Spean south west of Loch Laggan
in the Scottish Highlands
. The dam is 700 feet (213 metres) long and rises 170 feet (52 metres) above its foundations, and is part of the Lochaber hydro-electric scheme. The structure was built by Balfour Beatty
for the British Aluminium Company and construction was finished in 1934.
Water from the dam is conveyed to Loch Treig
through 3 miles (4.8 km) of tunnel. From there, the waters are conveyed to a power house at Fort William via 15 feet (4.6 metre) diameter pipe 15 miles (24 km) long. The dam can be found next to the A86 road
from Fort William. The catchment area of the dam was increased by an aqueduct
which can be seen at the side of the road in Strath Mashie.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
located on the River Spean south west of Loch Laggan
Loch Laggan
Loch Laggan is a freshwater loch situated east of Fort William, in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. The A86 road from Spean Bridge to Kingussie follows along its north bank...
in the Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
. The dam is 700 feet (213 metres) long and rises 170 feet (52 metres) above its foundations, and is part of the Lochaber hydro-electric scheme. The structure was built by Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty plc is a British construction, engineering, military housing, rail and investment services company. It is one of the largest construction companies in the UK, and the 15th largest in the world...
for the British Aluminium Company and construction was finished in 1934.
Water from the dam is conveyed to Loch Treig
Loch Treig
Loch Treig is a 9 km freshwater loch situated in a steep-sided glen 20 km east of Fort William, in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland...
through 3 miles (4.8 km) of tunnel. From there, the waters are conveyed to a power house at Fort William via 15 feet (4.6 metre) diameter pipe 15 miles (24 km) long. The dam can be found next to the A86 road
A86 road
The A86 is a major road in Scotland, United Kingdom, it runs from Spean Bridge to Kingussie. It is a primary route for all of its length.Travelling along this route carries a medium to high risk of suffering a death or serious injury accident according to EuroRAP.-References:...
from Fort William. The catchment area of the dam was increased by an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
which can be seen at the side of the road in Strath Mashie.