Modernist Tongland hydro power station set for £2m upgrade

Work has started on a £2m refurbishment of a historic hydro power station in the south of Scotland.

The site at Tongland is part of the Galloway scheme which was developed in the 1930s.

It has been described by Historic Environment Scotland as a fusion of necessary engineering requirements and detailed Modernist classical design.

Operators Drax are carrying out the upgrade as part of a £10m overhaul of other sites.

As part of the refurbishment, Tongland Power Station's exterior walls will receive a new concrete coating.

In addition they will get a layer of mineral-based paint to "protect the integrity of the building for decades to come".

Contractors Gunite (Eastern) Ltd said they were looking forward to delivering the "prestigious project".

Mike Wynd, Drax's head of hydro, said the Galloway scheme had been generating flexible, renewable electricity for almost 90 years.

He added: "Scotland has a long and proud history of hydroelectricity, and with this series of multi-million-pound investments Drax is ensuring these power stations will play an important role for many years to come."

The work is scheduled to be completed by May next year.