"Where the rain falls horizontally......"

After years of walking in the mountains around Arrochar and Loch Sloy I was interested to learn more about the web of tunnels and sluices feeding Loch Sloy, often many miles from the dam. Not to mention the artefacts and metal debris from narrow gauge railways, cableways and conveyors I occasionally stumbled over.

So today in the city with some time to spare I visited Glasgow's Mitchell Library in search of information on the construction of The Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Scheme.

At first nothing specific appeared to be listed, then success. A book that did not appear on the computer search engine but thanks to the determination of one lady assistant I was presented with The Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Scheme 1950.

This is a 'coffee table' style book published to mark the official opening on 18th October 1950 by Her Majesty The Queen. It tells the fascinating story of the construction with excellent photographs, all in classic black and white.

The constructors included German prisoners of war and tin miners from Cornwall.

An American journalist after a visit to the construction site aptly described the weather "Loch Sloy is where the rain falls horizontally......."

I remain in awe of the Loch Sloy scheme, the book has reinforced my opinion that this major civil engineering project deserves greater recognition.

Inspired vision, innovative engineering, hard labour, accidents and the death of a number of navvies. The weather was normally atrocious making all activities extra difficult.

But most importantly the scheme brought electricity to many people in the highlands for the first time.