Gillian O’Reilly, SSE’s Head of Heritage, has project managed SSE’s new state-of-the-art visitor centre which aims to attract 88,000 visitors in year one.
She says that the story of the hydro revolution of the 1950s is of national and cultural significance and one SSE has a duty to tell:
“SSE’s roots are firmly planted in the hydro-electricity revolution of the late 1940s and 1950s. The legacy of SSE’s forefathers is unique, with many of the dams and power stations built by them some 70 years ago still making a valuable contribution to the UK’s energy mix today.
But this story is not just SSE’s story – it is part of Scotland’s industrial and cultural heritage too. That’s why we have been so determined to make sure we tell it in the best way we can and to as many people as we can possibly reach.
It is a fascinating story of electrical power arriving in Highland homes for the first time after the war. It’s also a very human story with many workers working below ground in conditions which quite frankly would not be allowed nowadays. We owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women of the hydro revolution for their endeavour and to the visionaries like Tom Johnston who had the foresight to see the potential for harnessing the rivers that flowed through the Highlands.
A few years ago we did a feasibility study and it was clear that Pitlochry was the place to tell this story. Previously we had a small visitor centre by the side of the dam but it had limitations for access. So, rather than renovate it, we took the decision at the end of the 2012 season to close it and concentrate on this bigger plan.
We knew we were going for something that was bold and we’re delighted with the building that has emerged. Built on stilts on the banks of the River Tummel, it’s deliberately designed to make the most of the stunning views of the dam and Loch Faskally.
For me, the absolute highlight of this project was the chance to meet some of the original men and women who worked on the schemes. In creating the content of the exhibition we wanted to get first hand testimonies from some of the people, who worked on the schemes all those years ago.
One such lady is Judy Forster who features in our nine minute film Power to the Glens. She tells how she left the West Coast to become a secretary in the typing pool for Mitchell Construction, which was doing the Lochay scheme near Killin. Thanks to the hydro schemes, the town was booming. It was also the start of an era for women becoming empowered by their jobs. Judy told us how she was making huge money, £10 a week. It was enough for her to go regularly to Edinburgh feeling flush and come home with a new frock every time!
I am delighted that many of the men and women we spoke to will be with us for the official opening on February 6th and I really hope that everyone connected to SSE will be proud of the new visitor centre and proud of the role their forbears played in bringing power to the Highlands.”