Loch Beinn a 'Mheadhoin

Loch Beinn a 'Mheadhoin
Location: Highland , Scotland Tributaries: River Affric from Loch Affric , transfer tunnel from Loch Mullardoch Drain: River Affric Larger places nearby: Cannich
Scotland , United Kingdom
Coordinates	57 ° 16 '52 "  N , 4 ° 55' 22"  W Coordinates: 57 ° 16 '52 "  N , 4 ° 55' 22"  W
Data on the structure
Lock type:	Gravity dam
Construction time:	Completed in 1950
Height of the barrier structure :	37 m
Crown length:	177.5 m
Power plant output:	Fasnakyle : 69 MW
Operator:	SSE
Data on the reservoir
Reservoir length	8.3 km
Reservoir width	600 m

Loch Beinn a 'Mheadhoin , also known as Loch Benevian , is a reservoir in the Scottish Highlands . It is located in the almost uninhabited valley of Glen Affric about eight kilometers southwest of the town of Cannich and can only be reached from there via a narrow road.

Loch Beinn a 'Mheadhoin is about 8.3 km long and about 600 m wide. The former much smaller Beinn a 'Mheadhoin was dammed with a dam at the eastern end about three kilometers below the natural runoff and its water level was raised by 7.6 m. The lake is part of the Affric-Beauly hydro-electric power scheme . With this project, electricity has been generated from hydropower in the catchment area of ​​the River Beauly since 1950 , for which numerous lakes were dammed. However, the dam at Loch Beinn a 'Mheadhoin is very small and nestles in the narrow valley so that it is invisible from a distance.

Loch Beinn a 'Mheadhoin is naturally fed by rapids from Loch Affric to the west . The lake is also supplied with water from the higher Loch Mullardoch through a 4.8 km long transfer tunnel. Before entering the tunnel, the water is processed by the Mullardoch small power station, which has an output of 2.4 MW . From Loch Beinn a 'Mheadhoin the water is fed to the Fasnakyle power station, which has an output of 69 MW, residual water flows in the east from the lake over the River Affric to Fasnakyle into the River Glass , which flows through the Strathconon into the River Beauly.

Despite its use for energy, Loch Beinn a 'Mheadhoin is extremely picturesque and a popular destination for hikers. In contrast to other dammed lakes, the water level in Loch Beinn a 'Mheadhoin fluctuates only slightly, so that even at low tide no visible areas of the lake bottom dry out.

Web links

Commons : Loch Beinn a 'Mheadhoin  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ Charles Simeons: Hydro-Power: The Use of Water as an Alternative Source of Energy . Elsevier, 2014, ISBN 978-1-4831-4561-7 , pp. 303 ff . ( google.de ).
2. ↑ SSE (Ed.): Power from the Glens . Affric / Beauly, S. 13 ( sse.com [PDF]).
3. ^ North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board. In: Grace's Guide to British Industrial History. Retrieved May 11, 2019 . 
4. ↑ Entry on Loch Beinn a 'Mheadhoin  in Canmore, the database of Historic Environment Scotland (English)
5. ↑ Michael J. Ross: Mullardoch Dam & Power Station. In: Subterranea Britannica. May 8, 2004 . 
6. ↑ SSE (Ed.): Power from the Glens . Affric / Beauly, S. 13 ( sse.com [PDF]).

Loch Beinn a 'Mheadhoin photographed from Chisholm Bridge