Site Records

Culligran Power Station - Tailrace

Immediately opposite the access tunnel portal, a short track leads to the riverbank and the tailrace. The other end of the tailrace tunnel can be seen in the pictures of the draft tube gallery. It's a free-flowing tailrace tunnel (i.e. there is always airspace above the water) so there is no downstream surge chamber (contrast with Deanie). The tailrace is 550ft long, 22ft wide and 26ft high. It was mostly tunneled, but over the last 200ft the rock cover was poor and too thin, and that portion was constructed by cut & cover.

Photo: Culligran tailrace, from the screen bridge. The railings above the tunnel guard the edge of the Strathfarrar road.
Photo by: Mike Ross
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Photo: View from the other end of the tunnel; looking from the draft tube stoplog gallery towards daylight.
Photo by: Mike Ross

Some from the archives. In case you were under the impression that such a tailrace was a 'drain-sized' tunnel, this picture, taken from around the same vantage point as the previous shot, should correct that error; you could stack two double-deckers and drive the combination down this tunnel!
Photo by: NOSHEB archives.

Looking back - the previous picture was taken from where the chap is standing in the the opening at the top left of centre. The openings there are the lower level of the stoplog gallery; the openings at the level of floor of the tunnel are the draft tubes from the turbines.
Photo by: NOSHEB archives.

Finally, an overview of the completed tailrace outfall from across the river, complete with screens.
Photo by: NOSHEB archives.

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