The Pitlochry fish ladder is a

fish ladder A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass, fish steps, or fish cannon is a structure on or around artificial and natural barriers (such as dams, locks and waterfalls) to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration as well as move ...

next to the Pitlochry Power Station, near

Pitlochry Pitlochry (; gd, Baile Chloichridh or ) is a town in the Perth and Kinross council area of Scotland, lying on the River Tummel. It is historically in the county of Perthshire, and has a population of 2,776, according to the 2011 census.Scotlan ...

, Perth and Kinross, Scotland, which allows

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...

to travel upstream during the breeding season. Although viewing the ladder is still allowed, the observation tank as of July 2019 has been closed due to "access and safety concerns" Live web feeds are still available via the visitor's centre.

Construction details

The ladder was constructed as a result of a 1943

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

which laid a duty of care on the

North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board The North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board (1943–1990) was founded to design, construct and manage hydroelectricity projects in the Highlands of Scotland. It is regarded as one of the major achievements of Scottish politician Thomas Johnston, w ...

to preserve fish stocks in the waterways encompassing its power schemes. The form and design were created by the fish biologist John Berry. It was completed in 1951 alongside the dam for the

hydro-electric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

power station as part of the

Tummel hydro-electric power scheme The Tummel hydro-electric power scheme is an interconnected network of dams, power stations, aqueducts and electric power transmission in the Grampian Mountains of Scotland. Roughly bounded by Dalwhinnie in the north, Rannoch Moor in the west an ...

and was installed in 1952. It was the first of its type in Scotland. The fish ladder consists of 34 separate pools, each higher than the last and covering a distance of . Each pool has a opening below the water level to allow the fish to pass to the next pool; a continuous flow of water maintains the water level in the pools. There are three larger pools which allow the fish to rest during their ascent, and one of these has an underwater viewing area with a glass wall and CCTV cameras to allow the public to observe the fish making their climb during the breeding season. The ladder is equipped with a fish counter which allows the number of fish making the journey each year to be recorded. In 2006, 7,238 fish were recorded travelling up the ladder. The 2016 total, as of 13 September, was 6,098 fish. The 2006 and 2016 figures were relatively high when taken in context with the counts since 1980. An average figure has been nearer to 4,000 fish, looking at the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board report of 2015. The dam across the River Tummel at Pitlochry (that led to the formation of

Loch Faskally Loch Faskally (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Faschoille) is a man-made reservoir in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, northwest of Pitlochry. Geography The loch lies between steeply wooded hills and is approximately in length, narrowing to around wide. ...

) was constructed between 1947 and 1950 as part of the Board's Tummel Hydro-Electric Power Scheme. Without the fish ladder, it would have been an impassable obstacle for the migrating salmon.

References

External links

Fishcounts Pitlochry Dam
Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board website {{DEFAULTSORT:Pitlochry Fish Ladder Aquatic ecology Fish migrations Commercial buildings completed in 1951 Tourist attractions in Perth and Kinross Category A listed buildings in Perth and Kinross Buildings and structures in Pitlochry