The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Royal flush for power plant
Charles gets water flowing in new community hydro scheme
The north-east received its second Royal visit of the week yesterday as Prince Charles came to Braemar to bring a Victorian hydroelectric plant back to life.
The scheme on the Corriemulzie burn was once used to generate power for the Mar Lodge, which belonged to Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Louise.
For the last six years residents of Braemar have been working on having it rebuilt and yesterday itwas finally opened.
The development, which has been funded by around 200 investors from the town, will use water from the river to generate low carbon electricity for the national grid and any profits made will be reinvested in the area.
His Royal Highness visited the plant early yesterday morning to meet the people who have made the development possible.
Project manager Michael Bestwick and director of Braemar Community Hydro, Alistair Hubbard, welcomed the prince as he arrived on site.
He then pressed a button allowing water to flow into the turbine to signal that the initiative was well and truly complete.
The Duke of Rothesay then moved to Braemar Village Hall where he met around 40 people who had invested in the scheme.
Mr Hubbard said: “It’s great to see all the hard work done in the community come to fruition.
“Having the Duke of Rothesay here to recognise the work is the icing on the cake for me.”
The scheme is expected to generate between £5,000 and £10,000 every year for projects in Braemar.
Doreen Wood, who is on Braemar Community Limited’s committee is among those who will get the chance to decide where the money goes as groups apply for funding.
She said: “Each time the new profit comes in anyone in the area will be able to apply.”
“Residents of Braemar have been working on having it rebuilt”