The Glendoe Hydro Scheme, located above Loch Ness near Fort Augustus, is a 100 MW hydroelectric plant built by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and completed in 2009. It was the UK’s first large-scale hydro project in over 40 years, made possible by new renewable incentives under the 2001 Renewables Obligation. The scheme uses water from the River Tarff and surrounding catchments, channelled through 8.5 km of tunnels to an underground power station housing an Andritz six-jet Pelton turbine — the UK’s highest-head hydro system at 600 metres.

Construction began in 2006, led by Hochtief, and involved building a 960 m rock-fill dam, a reservoir covering 1.5 km², and extensive underground works. The project was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in June 2009, though a tunnel collapse later halted generation until 2012, after major repairs.

Glendoe produces about 180 GWh per year, enough to power 5% of Glasgow’s homes. It remains one of Scotland’s most significant modern engineering feats — a blend of 1960s hydro design principles and 21st-century renewable ambition.