Case study: Kinlochleven

A short trip through time
The village of Kinlochleven was developed in the early 1900’s when the then North British Aluminium Company created the Blackwater Reservoir, a hydroelectric plant and the Kinlochleven Aluminium Smelter. The small village developed and flourished along the aluminium smelter for almost a century as jobs were created. However, in June 2000 the factory closed, causing tremendous economic and social effects on the community.

In response, a multi-agency and community forum, the Kinlochleven Community Trust, has been established to address the regeneration of the area. This is a private company that is working with the community in order to carry a strategy to redevelop the village.

Why Kinlochleven?
Kinlochleven is a rural community with around 475 dwellings and less than 1000 people. The residents have been using different carbon-intensive options to meet the heat demand of their dwellings, such as coal and oil as the community is not connected to the gas grid. The main concern is that these methods of heating might have an impact on their health and the air quality.

These factors and the fact that many of its residents meet the conditions that deem them as being in fuel poverty have made this a perfect location to conduct the case study.