Mountains & hills · Central Scotland
Cruachan Power Station
In or near Lochawe.
Cruachan Power Station in Scotland Islands, United Kingdom.
David Brown — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 3 h–8 h
- Best time of year
- Late spring – early autumn (May–Oct)
- Nearest railway station
- Falls of Cruachan · 1.4 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Cruachan Power Station, the nearest railway station is Falls of Cruachan, located 1.4 km away. The postcode for the site is PA33 1AN, and entry is free.
About
Cruachan Power Station is a place of interest in Scotland Islands, United Kingdom — drawn from open-data sources for visitor reference. See the linked Wikipedia article for the full description.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
The Cruachan Power Station (also known as the Cruachan Dam) is a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK. The scheme can provide 440 MW of power and produced 705 GWh in 2009. The turbine hall is located inside Ben Cruachan, and the scheme moves water between Cruachan Reservoir and Loch Awe, a height difference of 396 m (1,299 ft). It is one of only four pumped storage power stations in the United Kingdom, and is capable of providing a black start capability to the National Grid. Construction began in 1959 to coincide with the Hunterston A nuclear power station in Ayrshire. Cruachan uses cheap electricity generated at night to pump water to the higher reservoir, which can then be released during the day to provide power as necessary. The power station is open to visitors, and around 50,000 tourists visit it each year.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Construction commenced in 1959, and the power station was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 15 October 1965. The concept was designed by Sir Edward MacColl, who died before it opened. At the peak of the construction, there were around 4,000people working on the project. The cost of the scheme was . Cruachan is pre-dated by the smaller 232 MW Lünerseewerk (de) (Austria, 1958) and the 360 MW Ffestiniog Power Station (Wales, 1963). It is one of four pumped storage schemes in the United Kingdom. Its construction was linked to that of Hunterston A nuclear power station, to store surplus night-time nuclear-generated electrical energy. The power station was originally operated by the North of…
Architecture
The Cruachan station temporarily stores energy at times of low demand, and releases it at times of high demand, when electricity prices are higher, Despite the use of some rainwater, Cruachan is not a net generator of electricity: it uses more energy for pumping water and spinning its turbines than it generates. Around 10% of the energy from the station is generated from rainwater; the rest is from the water pumped up from Loch Awe. It can go from standby to full production in twominutes, or 30seconds if compressed air is used to start the turbines spinning. The power station is required to keep a 12-hour water supply in order to provide a black start capability to the National Grid, to…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 56.4064, -5.1131
- District
- Argyll and Bute
- Postcode
- PA33 1AN
- Parliamentary constituency
- Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber
- Established
- 1965
- Nearest railway station
- Falls of Cruachan — 1.4 km
- Official site
- www.visitcruachan.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q15212096 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Cruachan Power Station (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Cruachan Reservoir
Reservoirs & lochs · 0.5 km
Falls of Cruachan
Natural landmarks · 1.2 km
Falls of Cruachan derailment
Heritage railway stations · 1.3 km
Falls of Cruachan Railway Viaduct
Historic bridges · 1.3 km
Falls of Cruachan railway station
Mountains & hills · 1.4 km
Beinn a` Bhuiridh
Mountains & hills · 1.4 km
Awe Hydro-Electric Scheme
Reservoirs & lochs · 1.4 km
Beinn a' Bhuiridh
Mountains & hills · 1.4 km
Pass of Brander
Mountains & hills · 1.4 km
Pass of Brander stone signals
Reservoirs & lochs · 1.7 km
Ben Cruachan - Meall Cuanail
Mountains & hills · 1.8 km
Meall Cuanail
Mountains & hills · 1.8 km
Nearby
📷 3Reservoirs & lochs · Central Scotland
Cruachan Reservoir
Cruachan Reservoir — lake in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK.
📷 4Natural landmarks · Central Scotland
Falls of Cruachan
Falls of Cruachan in Scotland Islands, United Kingdom.
📷 4Heritage railway stations · Central Scotland
Falls of Cruachan derailment
Falls of Cruachan derailment in Scotland Islands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Historic bridges · Central Scotland
Falls of Cruachan Railway Viaduct
Falls of Cruachan Railway Viaduct is a historic bridge in the United Kingdom.
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Falls of Cruachan railway station
Falls of Cruachan railway station in Scotland Islands, United Kingdom.
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Beinn a` Bhuiridh
Beinn a` Bhuiridh — Named summit at 897 m.
Where to eat & stay near Cruachan Power Station
Places to stay
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📷 7Hotels · Central Scotland
Loch Awe Hotel
Loch Awe Hotel — a hotel in scotland highlands.
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Loch Awe Holiday Park
Loch Awe Holiday Park — a caravan park in scotland highlands.
📷 5
📷 5Caravan parks · Central Scotland
Oban Camping & Caravanning Club Site
Oban Camping & Caravanning Club Site — a caravan park in scotland highlands.
📷 5Caravan parks · Central Scotland
North Ledaig Caravan Site
North Ledaig Caravan Site — a caravan park in scotland highlands.
Places to eat & drink
📷 3Historic pubs · Central Scotland
Ardbrecknish House
Ardbrecknish House — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.
📷 7Historic pubs · Central Scotland
King's Arms Flats, 28 George Street, Oban
King's Arms Flats, 28 George Street, Oban in Scotland Central, United Kingdom.
📷 7Historic pubs · Central Scotland
Caledonian Hotel, George Street, Oban
Caledonian Hotel, George Street, Oban in Scotland Central, United Kingdom.
📷 7More mountains in this region
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📷 3
📷 3Mountains & hills · Central Scotland
An Caisteal
An Caisteal — Named summit at 995 m.
📷 5Frequently asked questions
- Where is Cruachan Power Station?
- Cruachan Power Station is in the Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom (postcode PA33 1AN).
- What is Cruachan Power Station?
- Cruachan Power Station in Scotland Islands, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Cruachan Power Station?
- The nearest railway station is Falls of Cruachan, about 1.4 km away. Drivers can use postcode PA33 1AN.
- When was Cruachan Power Station built?
- Built or established in 1965.
- Who owns Cruachan Power Station?
- Cruachan Power Station is owned by Drax Power.
- Is Cruachan Power Station free to visit?
- Yes, Cruachan Power Station is free to enter.
- How do I get to Cruachan Power Station?
- The nearest railway station is Falls of Cruachan, about 1.4 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode PA33 1AN.