OREANDA-NEWS. Construction work on Pitlochry’s new GBP 4m visitor attraction is nearing completion with SSE poised to open its doors to the public at the end of January 2017. 

Work began last year at the visitor centre and 60 seat cafe at Pitlochry dam and power station, which is expected to draw 88,000 people every year once open. 

Situated on the banks of the River Tummel the year round, free to enter, centre will host an exhibition outlining the unique history of hydro electricity that showcases the social, environmental and engineering impacts of bringing power to the Highlands. 

The Visitor Centre will provide employment for up to 11 core staff supplemented by around six seasonal staff during peak season, with advertising for these roles expected to get underway soon. 

The centre boasts a multi purpose room which will be used as an education centre for organised educational visits. It will also host meetings and small conferences for up to 70 delegates.    

Situated at the end of the Tummel valley, the picturesque Pitlochry Dam is already a major tourist attraction, with an estimated 500,000 visitors crossing it each year. It also boasts a popular fish ladder and the scenic beauty of Loch Faskally.

SSE has recently converted the former visitor centre in Pitlochry into a corporate archive, open to the general public by appointment, which stores many historical blueprints, speeches and artefacts.