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St Fillans Power Station [Access Portal]

St Fillans, Loch Earn, Crieff, Perthshire.

Tunnel, Subterranean hydro power station (1957-).

Main access point to the subterranean St Fillans Power Station, located beside a transformer compound. This portal is usually covered by a roller gate. The powerhouse chamber has a short, lined access tunnel (< 200ft) and still exposes bedrock on the chamber walls. The tailrace tunnel is also relatively short, with outfall waters exiting into Loch Earn below the A85 at [NN 6900 2456]. The tailrace is a continuation of a NE-SW orientated penstock tunnel that links the powerhouse with a c.800ft-deep shaft at [NN 6944 2527]. The lower (penstock) part of this shaft is c.600ft high & 12-10ft in diameter, whilst the upper (surge shaft) section is c.200ft high with a diameter of 10-12ft.

The shaft is the outfall point for two separate extensive tunnels which have been driven through bedrock: a) the upper (Glentarken) tunnel, which carries water captured from streams along the northern side of Loch Earn & has its rising at a pond at the top of the surge shaft, and b) the lower (Lednock) tunnel that carries water from the Lednock Reseroir & enters the system at a point 200ft down the shaft (i.e. top of the penstock section).

Alternate Names: None recorded.

Notes: Part of the Breadalbane Hydro Scheme. Station renovated in 2002.

Given length of 840m is for the tailrace / penstock tunnel only (excludes access tunnel), based on a straight line from tailrace outfall to shaft (using Google Earth). VR of 240m is approx. & based on the provided depth of '800ft' for the surge/penstock shaft.

Hydrographic Feeds: Lednock Reservoir / Allt an Fhionn / Glentarken Burn / Beich Burn

Hydrographic Resurgences: Loch Earn