A new Perthshire tourist attraction is celebrating a hugely successful opening year.
Bosses have revealed the £4 million visitor centre at Pitlochry Dam has surpassed all expectations, welcoming almost 150,000 visitors since its launch last January.
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) had originally expected to attract around 88,000 people throughout 2017.
The centre showcases the great engineering feats of the early hydro projects, the benefits to society of bringing power to the glens and the story of how salmon navigate their way through SSE’s dams and fish ladders.
It was officially opened by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in February. In a poignant tribute to the engineers whose bravery helped build hydro schemes at Pitlochry in the 1950s, some of the original “Tunnel Tigers” also attended the opening.
Following from the success of its inaugural year, managers have now announced plans for a “living history” project.
SSE’s Head of Heritage Gillian O’Reilly said: “We have had an amazing first year where we have exceeded all targets in terms of footfall and have even attracted a loyal clientele of locals who have adopted the centre, and the team, as their own.”
She said the living history campaign would mark the 75th anniversary of hydro power in Scotland.
SEE is appealing for former employees, contractors and villagers to share their first hand testimonies.
“We are particularly keen to hear from people who worked for the Hydro Board and its predecessors in the 1940s, 50s and 60s,” said Gillian.
Retired engineer Brian Haslam has already been interviewed for the centre’s AV theatre.
The 84-year-old, from Fochabers, worked as a civil engineer on the Errochty Dam and Breadalbane Scheme in the 1950s.
“It was 10 years after World War Two and I met all sorts of people who shared their experiences of living through the war,” he said.
“There were workers and displaced people from all over Europe. Many had very little apart from the clothes they stood in, so they welcomed the work.”
He said: “We all got on very well together and it was an exciting time. There were vast numbers of people working in the area and each company would build huge camps to house everyone”
Mr Haslam said: “Initially some locals in places like Pitlochry were sceptical, but they soon saw the benefits of what we were doing and appreciated the income that came in all year round.”
To take part in the Living History project e-mail heritage@sse.com or call 07469 411479.
