Stanley Mills Hydro-Electric Power Station

The Stanley Mills Hydro-Electric Power Station, dating from 1921, comprises a concrete lade, dam, weir, a circular turbine house, and a detached diesel engine house. The turbine house is a tall, circular structure built from mass concrete, distinguished by stepped windows, a cornice, and an ogee slate roof topped with a timber ball finial. Internally, the generator mountings and a control panel remain. A straight lade and dam feature concrete sides and steel rails. The weir extends into the Tay river to safeguard the tail-race. The simple, rectangular gabled engine house contains a two-cylinder horizontal Ruston and Hornby diesel engine.

The site’s hydro-electric history extends back to 1879 when Gilkes turbines replaced waterwheels, driving line shafts. The 1921 turbines and generators, supplied by Boving and Co, were installed to generate electricity, allowing them to be positioned further from the mills; these were later removed in 1973, but the diesel engine remains as a standby. The building contractors were Messrs Duncan of Murthly.

Earlier components of the water system include the present weir and lade, as well as three tunnels driven in 1729 (for a corn mill), 1785 (by James Stobie), and 1823; these tunnels, originally 776 and 800 feet long, were re-floored with concrete in 1921, alongside bridges and sluices serving East and Bell Mills.