Stuck on spin cycle
In its day the Kinlochleven Hydroelectric Plant was the biggest hydro-generating scheme in Britain, with an output capacity of nearly 26 megawatts. With an average annual rainfall of 1470mm, falling over about 182 days per year, the village is ideally located for large-scale hydroelectricity generation.
Eleven Pelton wheel turbines originally provided the power needed to produce aluminium in the adjacent smelter. Each powered two 1MW direct current generators. Invented in America, the Pelton wheel is based on an old-fashioned open water wheel. Water is delivered at high pressure through high-velocity jets hitting a series of buckets mounted on the rim of a wheel. The buckets run at just under half the velocity of the jets and for electric generation, the speed must be constant. In the run-up to the closure of the smelter, several turbines were removed, but six decommissioned turbines are conserved and remain in-situ within the powerhouse.
In recent years the local community created a village garden on an area of derelict land left from the smelter closure. The centrepiece is an original Pelton wheel used in the powerhouse, celebrating its contribution to the existence of the village.
This is a micro cache with no room swaps. You will need to bring your own pen to sign the log. This is a popular place for visitors, so you will need extra stealth to avoid the attention of muggles.