Overview of Foyers

A small settlement in Highland Council Area, Foyers lies on the River Foyers where it falls into Loch Ness, over 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Fort Augustus. The Falls of Foyers were used to generate the first large-scale commercial hydro-electric scheme in the UK, created in 1896 by the North British Aluminium Company to reduce aluminium at a works located on the side of the loch. The aluminium smelter was closed in 1967 but the hydro-electric scheme was developed to combine conventional hydro and pumped storage, with a 305 MW capacity.