The Surge Chamber

This is the view down over the Fort William suburbs from the “Surge Chamber”.
The surge chamber (not in the picture) is at the end of a 15 mile long tunnel from Loch Treig. Along this route a further 11 mountain burns are intercepted to maximise use of the 300 square mile catchment area. As an engineering concept the tunnel runs at a very gentle gradient losing only about 20m in height along its length. Before becoming pressurised in to metal pipes which plunge steeply to the power station the water is open to the atmosphere. A scary vertical shaft –the surge chamber- rises from the tunnel end and the water finds its own level within it. Its level varies with the water level at Loch Treig and the real time demand on water dictated by load on the generators down below. You can see the five huge pipes in the image as they approach the power house; the long building at this side of the smelter.
The suburbs; far left is Inverlochy village built in the 20s onwards to accommodate workers at the new aluminium smelter. You can see the long meander of the River Lochy as it winds past Lochaber High School on its way to Loch Linnhe. Much of the length of this river runs in a depleted state because of the intervention of the hydro scheme on the upper River Spean (which becomes the River Lochy) and the dams on its main mountain tributaries. Beyond the Lochy you see Caol village (pronounced Cool) and Corpach. Straight opposite is the big gash which is Banavie quarry. The pink granite faces are very prominent in this light.
In the foreground is a happy yellow boy delighted at another new walk being offered to him.