New River Ness hydro scheme opened

A new hydro scheme on the River Ness at Inverness has been officially opened.

Called Hydro Ness, it generates electricity using an Archimedes Screw.

The technology has been used in the past as a means of drawing water at low level to a higher level, and its design has been attributed by some experts to the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes.

Hydro Ness utilises infrastructure from a disused hydro scheme dating back to the 1920s, and is expected to generate more than 500,000 kWh of renewable energy a year.

The Highland Council project was officially opened by Energy Secretary Michael Matheson.

Milton of Leys Primary pupil Grace Mackenzie won a competition to name the hydro scheme.