A £26million project to refurbish a 275kV line of pylons running nearly the length of Loch Ness has been completed.
Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission (Shet) started the work between Knocknagael substation, to the south of Inverness, and the Foyers pumped storage hydro station.
The scheme involved the replacement of six single wires with new twin conductors, spanning a total distance of nearly 15 miles across 85 steel towers.
At the peak of the work, a total of 89 people were employed and the project was completed on time and on budget.
Challenging forestry work was completed using a skyline winch to harvest trees on steep and inaccessible slopes with the minimum disruption to the sensitive Great Glen environment.
The completion of the work significantly boosts the capacity of the overhead line and will enable an additional 169MW of renewable generation currently being built in the area to connect via the new Farigaig substation which is currently in construction.
Shet project director Tony Scott said: “The Foyers-Knocknagael project is the first of its kind for SHE Transmission, involving the installation of twin conductors across existing 275kV steel towers that were built over 40 years ago.
“In less than 18 months, our team on site has overcome significant environmental and technical challenges to complete their work ahead of time and within budget. Our forestry team tackled precipitous slopes, deploying specialised equipment and techniques to safeguard the renewed overhead line without jeopardising the sensitive environment that it traverses.
“The original line was built in the early 1970s and the fact that its upgrade proved possible is a great testament to the engineers of that time.
“Their work laid the foundations for our team to deliver the strengthened transmission network that is needed to meet the changing needs of consumers all over the country, with minimum disruption to the landscape and communities in the Great Glen.
“I would particularly like to thank local residents for their patience and understanding while our work has been under way.
“We have been pleased to work with them to make sure everyone in the area stayed safe during the construction period – and to ensure local people and businesses were able to benefit from our work where possible.”