Scottish Hydro-Electric Visitor Centre

The picturesque town of Pitlochry is famous for its hydro-electric dam and salmon ladder. Set amid some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, the Pitlochry Power Station attracts half a million visitors every year, making it one of the top attractions in Scotland.

As the largest generator of renewable energy in the UK, The Scottish Hydro-Electric Visitor Centre in Pitlochry shows how the hydro generation schemes were constructed. Visitors can view the famous Salmon Ladder through glass viewing windows and learn about how the fish make their epic journey from their birthplace in Highland rivers, out to sea and back upstream to spawn.

Unlike other salmon ladders where the fish jump up the ladder, at Pitlochry the don't jump, but swim upstream through interconnecting pipes. The ladder is 310 metres long and consists of 34 chambers. Around 5,000 salmon pass through the pipes to return to their spawning grounds each year - an incredible journey of some 6,000 miles!

The turbine hall of Pitlochry Power Station can be viewed from the Visitor Centre and interactive, audio-visual presentations are also provided.