-SSE’s Visitor Centre in Perthshire which showcases hydro heritage as well as its famous fish ladder hits historic landmark eight years after its opening in 2017-
Energy company SSE reached a major milestone on Thursday 16 October by welcoming their millionth visitor to Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre. It showcases the rich history of hydroelectricity in the north of Scotland and displays artefacts showing the electrical appliances that transformed our lives.
First opened on 30 January 2017, the award-winning attraction hoped to draw 88,000 visitors per year but welcomed 125,000 visitors in its first year alone. It has since welcomed an average of 110,000 guests annually.
The one millionth visitor milestone landed as local couple Niel and Margo Haggart arrived, who are regular visitors to the visitor centre café. They were presented with a prize including a VIP Tummel Scheme Tour, lunch for two in the café and visitors to the centre enjoyed some sweet treats to celebrate with them.
Visitors to the free-to-enter attraction learn about such figures as Tom Johnston whose foresight unleashed the hydro revolution that still powers homes today. They can also hear the stories of the Hydro Boys and Tunnel Tigers who lived – and sadly in some cases died – building the schemes.
Pitlochry’s ‘fish ladder’ was integral to the design for the hydroelectricity scheme in the early 1950s. Thousands still visit the dam today to see the salmon swim to their breeding grounds upriver and now everyone can learn the secrets of that incredible journey.
Gillian O'Reilly, SSE Head of Heritage, said:
“We’re so proud to welcome our millionth visitor to Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre. The irony is that when plans for the hydro scheme at Pitlochry were first unveiled some critics feared it could lead to the ‘ruination of tourism’. In fact, the opposite has proven true. People from the world over are fascinated by hydro heritage and all that comes with it.
“My thanks to our outstanding team at the visitor centre whose hard work since 2017 ensures we get consistently good reviews from customers and helped us win a Gold Standard Green Tourism Award. We look forward to sharing our heritage and hospitality with thousands of future visitors.”
Vicki Miller, VisitScotland Chief Executive, said:
“Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre has been an excellent addition to Perthshire’s tourism offering, bringing to life the inspiring stories of early industry workers and the history of hydroelectricity in the north of Scotland.
“To have welcomed a million visitors in such a short time is a fantastic achievement. These visitors, whether here for a day or longer all help contribute to our valuable visitor economy, supporting jobs and communities right across Perthshire.”
One of the key objectives when opening Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre was to bring the past to life in a compelling way. SSE launched a project to capture the memories of early industry workers and their fascinating memories of hydro working conditions which now feature as videos at the centre.
Visitors can also soak up the glory of the River Tummel as it tumbles past the fully working Pitlochry Hydro Station as well as looking out for leaping salmon on their way upriver. For further information see: www.pitlochrydam.com