The baton of engineering expertise was handed from one generation to the next at a unique event hosted by energy company SSE at its Perth headquarters.
Retired engineers from SSEN’s Transmission business shared their experiences of building and maintaining Scotland’s electricity grid with graduates and apprentices at an event called ‘Highland Grid – Wired Through Time.’
Trainee engineer Jamie Sinclair was educated at Perth Academy and joined SSE in 2024. Jamie could be seen absorbing stories and tips from Eric Davidson who retired from SSE 25 years ago after a 33-year career there and still lives in Perth.
The event follows SSE’s recent publication of a book called ‘The Highland Grid’ which draws on over 100 years of archive documents, newspaper cuttings and interviews with people who worked on the high voltage electricity network as long ago as the 1950s.
Gillian O’Reilly, Head of Heritage for SSE, said the event showcased the enduring spirit that has helped power the Highlands for nearly a century.
She said: “It was inspirational to see the engineering torch being handed from the past to the present. Our power pioneers of the past faced huge challenges to establish and maintain the electricity grid; and today our apprentices face a similar scale of grid build.
“The debates about landscape impact, the challenges of remote construction, and the need for meaningful community engagement echo across the generations. Today we must be more mindful than ever of the legacy we leave as we build the grid we need to help the country decarbonise.
“A few things have changed including safety standards for example, but there is always so much we can learn from our past. All of which will be of huge help to our current graduate grid builders as the electrification of modern-day society gathers pace.”
SSEN Transmission is now investing over £22bn to transform the electricity network in the north of Scotland to help transport homegrown low-carbon electricity.
In doing so SSEN will be supporting employment and other benefits across the north of Scotland, including creating 600 ‘earn as you learn’ roles between now and 2030 as part of the green talent of tomorrow required to enable the clean energy transition.