Kingussie Hydro Celebrates 10 years!

Drop by for an Open Day at the Hydro for a wee tour and to find out more about how Kingussie Community Development Company use the proceeds to support projects and activities in the town.

Saturday 15 February 2025

11am -3pm drop by at the Hydro
1pm – 2pm soup at the Golf Club

RSVP for soup by Feb 10th if possible to catriona.morrison@kcdc.co.uk to help us plan numbers

On Saturday, 15 February 2025, the KCDC is celebrating the 10th birthday of the community hydro scheme on the River Gynack.

This amazing project kicked off back in 2015, thanks to the vision of the late Donnie Grant. Donnie was KCDC’s first Chair and an incredible advocate for both the environment and the local community.

It’s been a team effort from the start, with local volunteers managing the project’s commissioning and construction. That same volunteer spirit is still alive and well. These days, 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 a century. The current scheme uses the old weir from a hydro plant that powered St. Vincent’s Hospital back 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.

What makes this even better?

The income generated from the hydro goes straight back into the community through KCDC’s Hydro Grant Fund. Over the last ten years, nearly £100,000 has supported local groups and projects around Kingussie including the Shinty Club, the Bikeathon, the High School, the Allotments and the Food on Film festival. Feel free to check out the KCDC website if your local group could use a little extra funding.

To mark a decade of the Hydro, KCDC is hosting a drop-in day on Saturday, 15 February. Drop by between 11am and 3pm  for a tour of the hydro plant. And don’t miss the chance to warm up with a bowl of soup at the Kingussie Golf Club from 1-2pm. It’ll be a great way to learn more about the hydro and meet some fantastic people.

KCDC isn’t just about the hydro. The charity works to make Kingussie better for everyone. We maintain paths around the town, take care of community woodlands along the Gynack, and have spearheaded bigger projects like the Gynack Gardens and the Silverfjord/Spey Street Junction. These projects have connected the railway station to the town and created beautiful outdoor spaces for both locals and visitors to enjoy.

For more information contact: catriona.morrison@kcdc.co.uk

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