Memories of Glen Affric
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Shared Memories of Glen Affric
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Year: 1949
Life in Cannich and Fasnakyle
My family and I moved from Elm Park in Essex to Scotland in the last weeks of 1948. My father Leon A. Lalonde had accepted a position as Chief Mechanical Engineer with John Cochrane and Sons, a construction company. They had previously been awarded a large contract to build a Hydro Electric Scheme in Glen Affric. Moving to Scotland in the middle of winter was not an ideal time to relocate house and home. On our arrival we stayed in the comfortable Affric Hotel for two weeks while Dad found us a place to live. Finally he was able to secure a small house called "Fasnakyle Cottage". It was a crofters cottage, containing a living room, one bedroom, a bathroom and kitchen. Each room was very small, but overall the place was warm and cozy and served us fairly well. We did not have running water as most of us know it. We hauled our water in a large 500 gallon tank trailer from Cannich every few days, drained it into a large settling tank a short distance uphill beside the road, and gravity brought it to the house. Heat was achieved by a wood burning fireplace. Long slabs of bark-covered wood from trees cut for the project were delivered, we had to cut them and split them for fuel. We did have electric power for light and cooking. Our first Scottish Christmas proved to be an exciting experience and First Footing on New Years Eve was another memorable experience for our English Family. Fasnakyle and Cannich are beautiful parts of the Highlands. Our little dog Nan, a West Highland Terrier, loved to chase through the heather whenever we went walking. Working on the Hydro Scheme was my first job after leaving school. I remember traveling 'up the glen' to Dog Falls, the Dam, and Benevean, which is now buried under tons of water behind the hydro electric dam. In 1995 I returned to visit Cannich and Fasnakyle, the Power Station is still in operation, but on a stand-by basis. The construction that exposed so much of the landscape has been returned to its original appearance wherever possible, and the beauty of the whole area has been restored. Glen Affric is a picturesque place to hike and visit. Proving again that the Scotish Highlands has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Denman Lalonde Last edited: 29/01/2007 22:06 by Denman Lalonde |
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