The Highland Grid: The story of power transmission in the north

The Highland Grid is one of the most remarkable things ever built in the north of Scotland.

First created to enable the construction of the regions acclaimed hydro-electric schemesby transmitting electricity from where it was generated to where it was needed, it became thecornerstone of the network that transformed the Highlands in the post-war years throughuniversal provision of electric light, heat and power. Without it, those hydro-electric schemeswould have remained a pipedream.

Its original construction, in tough conditions across inhospitable terrain, and in the face ofsome strong opposition, was a feat of engineering excellence and human perseverance.With its day-to-day operations frequently beset by storms, snow and ice it has had to prove itsresilience time and time again, with engineers working in the most adverse conditions tomaintain the supplies of electricity on which people depend.

Yet the Highland Grid has never been finished; it has evolved continuously to meet the needs of the present and the future. Almost a century after its first electricity transmission line was built to allow the construction of a major hydro-electric scheme in Perthshire, it continues to be developed on land and under sea. It is nowone of Europes fastest growing transmission networks, transmitting the electricity from renewablesources that is putting the north of Scotland at the heart of energy decarbonisation and security.

Always distinct from the National Grid, of which it has never been part, the Highland Grid has arich history. Although not without controversy, at its heart is a story of technical acumen,human ingenuity and strategic investment in the north of Scotland that stretches back almost100 years.

Here, for the first time, this story is told.