Rivers at Work
Hydro-electric power in the Highlands
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Description
The story of the electrification of the Highlands by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board. Commentary by John Grierson. The film includes shots of the construction of Sloy dam at Loch Sloy and Sloy dam in operation; Loch Lairige dam; Loch Tummel and Rannoch dams and power station; Loch Errochty reservoie; Loch Tummel dam at Clunie; Clunie power station; Pitlochry power station and control room; Glascarnoch dam and power station at Luichart; construction of Glenmoriston dam; buttresses at Shira dam; construction work on dam and blasting rock; Loch Cuarch reservoir; Glen Affric dam; workers houses at Cannich; fish ladder at Pitlochry; falls of Lochy; salmon hatchery at Invergarry; electric pylons and telegraph poles in the Highlands; electric powered machinery; electric brooders for poultry; electric dryers for grain and grass; Invergarry power station; shot of puffer with cargo of coal approaching harbour on West Coast and unloading; shots of pit head and of coal in railway wagons on its way to power station; Dounreay power station.
Questions & Activities
Questions
- How does the music add to the film?
- What examples of figurative language does the narrator use?
- Why was that site chosen to build the power station?
- Why was there a need for more power in Scotland in the 1950s?
Activities
Geography / Science: Research the environmental advantages and disadvantages of hydro-electric power?
Geography / Science: Research how much of the electricity in Scotland is generated by hydro-electric power? What other sources of electricity are there?
Science / English: List how many different ways you use electricity in an average day.
Science / Geography: Investigate how your school could use more renewable energy sources.
Media Studies / Technologies: Download the animations showing how the turbine system works and annotate adding in more detail.
Technologies: Research how was water used for power before electricity.
Clip Details
| Record Id | 007-000-000-295-C |
|---|---|
| Resource Rights Holder | National Library of Scotland |
| Project Ref | 2240 |
| Date | 1958 |
| Genre | Documentary, Sponsored |
| School Subject | Technologies, Geography, Science, English, Media Studies, Social History |
| Who | Films of Scotland and North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board (sponsor), Greenpark Productions Ltd in association with the Film Producers Guild (production company), John Grierson (narrator), Lew Davidson (director) |
| Where | Clunie, Dounreay, Glenmoriston, Invergarry, Loch Tummel, Pitlochry, Rannoch |
| Attributes | Colour, Sound |
| Clip Length | 5:12 |
| Film Length | 20:00 |