Hydro-electricity in Harris c1930
- Hydro manual from Geocrab
Whilst we have been busily working away at our new community hydro-electric scheme at Bunavoneader – we knew that we were building on the site of a much older scheme. The remains of a dam and cast iron pipeline are still visible on site. This fed water to the Whaling Station to generate electricity.
John Morrison Geocrab Mill Harris
I certainly hadn’t realised that hydro-power was so common. In the last few years there has been a lot of publicity about the huge hydro resource in Scotland. Focus on renewable energy has slowly moved away from big wind turbines. Hydro-electricity is in fashion! Little did we know – it was alive and kicking here in Harris in the 30′s.
The Gilkes manual, dated June 1930 came from what is now the Geocrab Hatchery. This was originally a water powered tweed mill with its own hydro-electric generator.
Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon was established in the mid 1800s in Kendal, England. 155 years later it is still the world leader in manufacuring small hydro-power systems for the generation of electricity from water.
How strange then that Gilkes have expressed an interest in bidding for the Design and Build of our Bunavoneader Hydro-electric scheme – 80 years later.