Powerhouse, Lochaber Hydroelectric Scheme

The Powerhouse of the Lochaber Hydroelectric Scheme, designed by supervising engineer William Halcrow and built by Balfour Beatty in 1929, is a deep single-storey building with a roughly 25-bay rectangular plan. Constructed of red brick, it features some carved sandstone panels and is part of a large high-head hydroelectric scheme that supplies electricity to a nearby aluminium smelter. The exterior is characterized by red brick with sandstone ashlar dressings, pilasters, and a band course at the upper ground floor, which is supported by brick corbels above the main doorway.

On the far left (north) side, there is a large opening with a metal roller door and a fielded sandstone panel above, inscribed with "THE LOCHABER POWER COMPANY." Adjacent to this is a single bay return that features a pilastered and corniced sandstone ashlar pedestrian doorway set in a recessed round arched surround. This arch has a scrolled panel dated 1929 and inscribed with "LPC." The west elevation consists of roughly 25 pilastered bays, each containing tall keystoned round arched multi-pane windows with deep sandstone ashlar transoms at the top. The building has banded base and eaves courses, with the eaves corbelled between the pilasters. Additionally, penstocks with control valves run perpendicular to the west elevation.

Inside, the powerhouse has a plain interior with a decorative tiled floor and painted and plastered interior brick walls. It also features a travelling crane supported by steel buttresses and steel lattice roof trusses.