On February 15th we celebrated the community hydro scheme that has operated on the River Gynack for the past 10 years. Almost 80 people joined us over the day for a tour of the hydro plant and a wee bowl of soup at Kingussie Golf Club. We had a great day meeting all of you. Once again we would like to thank you for your support and dropping by to find out more and celebrate with us.
The Hydro project kicked off back in 2006 and came to fruition in 2015, thanks to the vision and determination of the late Donnie Grant who was KCDC’s first Chair and an incredible advocate for the environment and the local community. It’s been a team effort from the start, with local volunteers managing the hydro commissioning and construction. That same volunteer spirit is still alive and well. KCDC volunteers handle everything from maintenance to daily operations at the hydro. If you’re ever near the hydro bridge, take a moment to look down at the river – you might just spot some locals hard at work. And if you stop for a quick chat, who knows? You might even end up joining in!
Hydropower has been part of the Gynack’s story for decades. The current scheme uses the old weir from a hydro plant that powered St. Vincent’s Hospital in the 1920s. Today’s setup generates roughly 40,000 kWh of renewable energy per year. Some of that powers Kingussie Golf Club, while the surplus gets fed into the national grid. Alistair Bell has written a fab book on the hydro project called “. Harnessing the power of the Gynack” available to buy for £10 with proceeds going to KCDC.
The income generated from the Hydro goes straight back into the community through KCDC’s Hydro Grant Fund. Over the last ten years, this has supported local groups and projects around Kingussie including Kingussie Camanachd Club, Kingussie High School, Roots and Shoots Highland, The Iona Gallery, Kingussie Food on Film, Kingussie Primary School Parent Council and many more. Feel free to check out our Hydro Grant page if your local group could use a little funding for a community project.
KCDC isn’t just about the hydro. We also work to make Kingussie better for everyone. We maintain paths around the town, take care of community woodlands along the River Gynack and have spearheaded bigger projects like the Gynack Gardens and the Silverfjord/Spey Street Junction.
If you would like to get involved email: info@kcdc.co.uk
