RAILSCOT | Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter

Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter

Location type

Works

Name and dates

Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter (1909-2000)

Served by the Kinlochleven Smelter Tramway.

Nearby stations Ballachulish (Glencoe) Ballachulish Ferry Fort William [1st] Fort William Banavie Banavie Pier Corrour Corpach Kentallen Spean Bridge Roy Bridge Loch Eil Outward Bound Gairlochy Duror Fersit Halt	Tourist/other Kinlochleven Climbing Centre Grey Mares Tail Waterfall Mamore Lodge Hotel Mamore Lodge Hotel Kinlochleven Smelter Pier Am Bodach Na Gruagaichean Na Gruagaichean North West Peak Stob Coire a^Chairn Am Bodach Sgor an Iubhair - Demoted Aonach Eagach - Meall Dearg Binnein Mor South Peak Sgurr Eilde Beag An Garbhanach
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.

Chronology Dates

/ /1905	Loch Leven Water and Electric Power Co Construction of Blackwater Dam, pipeline and hydro-electric power station alongside Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter begins. Contractor Robert McAlpine whose company had not long previously completed the Mallaig Extension (West Highland Railway).
/ /1905	Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter Construction of Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter begins.
/ /1907	Loch Leven Water and Electric Power Co Construction of Blackwater Dam, pipeline and power station for Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter complete. (Alternative date 1908.)
/ /1908	Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter Given the use of hydropower within the factory, an electric tramway is used between Kinlochleven Smelter Pier and Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter. Bauxite came from Larne and carbon from the Greenock Carbon Factory.
/ /1909	Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter Construction of Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter complete. The site had 76 smelters.
/ /1917	Burntisland Aluminium Works Bauxite reduction works opened. Traffic commences to Ballachulish (Glencoe) for the Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter.
/ /1918	British Aluminium Co Ltd Bill to expand the Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter fails.
/ /1919	The German Road The road between Glencoe and Kinlochleven is completed. Work began in 1909 and the road was completed with German prisoners of war manpower during the Great War. A very poor road existed previously. A new portion of good quality road was built above the shore between Glencoe and Coalas nan Con and the portion from there east to Kinlochleven (and the Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter) was improved and partly realigned.
14/06/1965	Ballachulish Branch (Callander and Oban Railway) Ballachulish (Glencoe) to Connel Ferry closed to goods. Traffic for the Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter is diverted to the Lochaber Smelter (Fort William) and carried by road from there south to Kinlochleven.
/ /1989	Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter carbon factory demolished.
/06/2000	Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter closed. The hydro-electric power station remains in operation, connected to the National Grid.