The Kerry Falls between Loch Maree and Gairloch

The Kerry Falls between Loch Maree and Gairloch

ID: QZP40_CARD_0561 DESCRIPTION: The Kerry Falls between Loch Maree and Gairloch. The River Kerry, from the Old Norse meaning copse, flows from Loch na h-Oidche, meaning loch of the night, just over three miles to Loch Gairloch in Wester Ross. The upper reaches are fast flowing through a deep gorge and in the 1950s a small hydro-electric power station was built on the river harnessing the waters of the Kerry Falls. It originally provided power for the local community but is now part of the National Grid. It resulted in the amount of water that now flows down the Kerry being greatly reduced in comparison to the volume of water tumbling over the rocks in this photograph. The contractor for the Kerry Falls Power Station was William Logan (1913-1966) head of the building firm of Duncan Logan Ltd. of Muir of Ord, better known as the contractors for the Tay Bridge. William Logan was the founder of Loganair in 1962. From its beginnings as an air taxi service for the company it became known as Scotland's airline and today operates a network of internal and inter-island routes. William Logan was killed in January 1966 when the aircraft in which he was the sole passenger crashed on Dunain Hill near Inverness. The lower reaches of the Kerry River supports one of the healthiest populations of freshwater pearl mussels in the United Kingdom and is one of the most important strongholds of this rare, threatened species in Europe. This has resulted in the River Kerry qualifying as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and as a Special Area of Conservation. In the United Kingdom freshwater pearl mussels are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The river is also known for sea trout and salmon fishing. PLACENAME: Kerry Falls OLD COUNTY/PARISH: ROSS PERIOD: 1940s SOURCE: Highland Libraries COLLECTION: Highland Libraries' Postcard Collection Asset ID: 32486 KEYWORDS: