The Foyers Hydropower Schemes, on the southeast shore of Loch Ness, combine a 5 MW conventional hydro plant with a 300 MW pumped-storage system that uses Loch Ness as the lower reservoir and Loch Mhòr as the upper. Together they play a key role in balancing Scotland’s electricity grid by storing and generating renewable power.

The original Foyers hydro plant was built in 1895 by the British Aluminium Company to power a nearby smelter, drawing water from the River Foyers above the famous Falls of Foyers. When the smelter closed in 1967, the plant was upgraded to 5 MW and taken over by the North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board (now SSE).

In 1969, construction began on the much larger pumped-storage scheme, completed in 1974. It uses two 150 MW reversible turbines to pump water uphill during low demand and release it for generation during peak periods. With a 179 m head between the lochs and a weekly operating cycle, Foyers remains a vital part of Scotland’s flexible, low-carbon energy system.