Another New Walk

This was another new walk from my list of serving suggestions. It is a “short cut” over the hill from Kinloch Laggan to Glen Shero. The Glen Shero valley is home to the upper sections of the River Spey.
The Alcan Hydro Electric scheme comes up a lot in my blips and it is relevant again here today. While the scheme was up and running by 1929 World War 2 brought increased demand for aluminium production. During the war years the Spey Dam was built, much of the east bound water was forced to do a U turn through a man made cut west to Loch Crunachan. From here it flowed about 3km through a tunnel to Loch Laggan thus topping up the original scheme. This is quite a big intrusion in the natural water flow forcing east coast bound water west in to the Atlantic side of the country. The BA had an extension built to the Fort William smelter, new cells (electrolytic furnaces) were constructed to meet demand and make use of the increased hydro energy produced.

Our walk followed the line of the tunnel and we continued on down the glen a bit to an old General Wade bridge which looks (now) strangely out of place. The above mentioned cut entrained water away from a natural water course of the time leaving the bridge appearing to span nothing and act as informal shelter for livestock. I think it will be Mrs SJR’s blip.
Both Caley and Mrs SJR approved of the new walk and in a day of showers we managed to cover the 10km without a soaking