OS Grid Ref: NH 22393 10846 (access tunnel portal)
Date opened: 1959
Date closed : Operational
Water is stored for Ceannacroc at two reservoirs, Loch Loyne and Loch Clunie.
Loyne dam is fairly modest structure, 58ft high and 1,700ft long. It's
hard to see - new forestry plantations are effectively screening the dam
from the main A87 which runs past it:
Photo: Loyne Dam
Photo by: Mike
Ross
A closer view of Loyne dam. From here, water it taken (via a small power
station built in to the dam) through a tunnel, 7,600ft long, horseshoe
in section with an equivalent diameter of 12ft, to the main storage reservoir
of the scheme at Loch Clunie. When the photograph below was taken, the
Loyne power station & tunnel were out of service for refurbishment,
so the surplus water was being released into the river:
Photo: Loyne Dam
Photo by: Mike Ross
A beautiful winter day, looking down Loch Loyne to the dam, from a layby
on the A87. The large cairn is interesting; it marks the spot where Willie
McRae, a prominent Scottish Nationalist, died in *very* mysterious circumstances
in 1985. Click
HERE to read more:
Photo: Loyne Dam
Photo by: Mike
Ross
Clunie dam, which provides the main storage for Ceannacroc, is a somewhat
more imposing structure - 128ft high by 2,220ft long. It's also relatively
difficult to photograph; the topography tends to present few clear views.
This is the best view that can be got from the main A87 road:
Photo: Clunie Dam
Photo by: Mike Ross
Behind the dam now, and looking across the reservoir. The small building
is the gatehouse for the outfall of the tunnel bringing water from Loch
Loyne:
Photo: Clunie Dam
Photo by: Mike Ross
Adjacent to the near end of the dam are two buildings with the A87 running
between them. The nearer one is the gatehouse, the further one is the screenhouse.
They each have shafts running down to the tunnel below:
Photo: Clunie Dam
Photo by: Mike Ross
Closer view of the gatehouse, with the door open and one of the gates visible:
Photo: Clunie Dam
Photo by: Mike Ross
A closer view of the screenhouse, with refurbishment in progress:
Photo: Clunie Dam
Photo by: Mike
Ross
Inside, the screen shaft is full of scaffolding:
Photo: Clunie Dam
Photo by: Mike Ross
But it's still (just) possible to get a view down the (very steamy) empty
shaft - you can see the screens, and the wet floor gleaming far below.
Normally this is all full of water of course:
Photo: Clunie Dam
Photo by: Mike
Ross
