# Scottish Power Company Limited

The Scottish Power Company Limited was an electricity industry holding company that operated from 1909 until 1948. Its subsidiary companies generated and supplied electricity to up to 136,800 consumers in an area of 13,000 square miles over large parts of Scotland.

## Foundation

The Scottish Power Company Limited was incorporated in 1909. Its sole subsidiary at that time was the Scottish Central Electric Power Company which had been established in 1903 under the terms of the Scottish Central Electric Power Act 1903 (3 Edw. 7 ccxli). The Central Company had constructed and operated a power station at Bonnybridge near Falkirk.

### Management

The Scottish Power company's management board in 1927 comprised: Henry Brown (chairman); George Balfour; J.W. Bowhill; Sir T.O. Callender; and Ian C.A. Murray.
In 1937 the board comprised: George Balfour (chairman); Alexander H. Bowhill; Sir T.O. Callender; Ian C.A. Murray; and Kenneth Sanderson. George Balfour died in September 1941 and was succeeded as chairman by William Shearer who remained chairman until 1948.
The company's registered office was 10 Melville Street, Edinburgh.

## Subsidiary Companies

The Scottish Power Company went on to acquire the shares and capital of other Scottish electricity undertakings. By 1927 these included:
* Scottish Midlands Electricity Supply Limited
* Grampian Electricity Supply Limited
* North of Scotland Electric Light and Power Company Limited
* Crief Electric Supply Company Limited
* Dunblane and District Electricity Supply Limited
By 1930 the Scottish Power Company had also acquired:
* Fife Electric Power Company
* Arbroath Electric Light and Power Company Limited
* Beauly Electric Supply Company Limited
* Duncan's Electricity Supply Company Limited
By 1937 its subsidiaries also included:
* Elgin Electric Supply Company Limited
* Grantown-on-Spey Electric Supply Company Limited
* Ross-shire Electric Supply Company Limited
* Scottish Southern Electric Supply Company Limited
* Strichen Electrical Supply Company Limited
By 1948 the Power Company had absorbed 21 electricity undertakings and had made arrangements for the acquisition of nine other undertakings. However, these arrangements were abandoned as a consequence of the nationalization of the electricity industry. The Scottish Power Company was dissolved and its power stations and power lines were vested in the South East Scotland Electricity Board.

## Power stations

The engineering details of the power stations operated by the subsidiary companies in 1921 were as follows:
Scottish Power Company subsidiaries power stations (1921) :
| Company | Power station | Generating plant, steam unless stated | Total generating capacity, MW | Electricity supplied, MWh | Maximum Load, kW | Connections |
| Arbroath | Arbroath | 1 × 150 kW, 1 × 300 kW, 1 × 600 kW | 1.050 | 1,115.1 | 800 | 2,793 |
| Dunblane | Dunblane | Not operational | – | – | – | – |
| Duncan's | Aboyne | Not operational | – | – | – | – |
| Duncan's | Ballater | 2 × 42 kW (oil) | 84 | 44.58 | 40 | 186 |
| Duncan's | Ellon | 2 × 42 kW (oil) | 84 | 50.4 | 50 | 240 |
| Fife | Dunfermline | 1 × 300 kW, 1 × 1250 kW, 1 × 1500 kW, 1 × 3500 kW, 1 × 5000 kW | 16.55 | 21,149.5 | 6,408 | 8,877 |
| Grampian | | Not operational | – | – | – | – |
| North of Scotland | Brechin | 2 × 66 kW | 132 | 177.2 | 129 | 956 |
| North of Scotland | Inverness | 2 × 90 kW, 1 × 150 kW, 1 × 220 kW, 1 × 300 kW | 850 | 818.1 | 620 | 2,698 |
| North of Scotland | Montrose | 2 × 66 kW, 1 × 75 kW, 1 × 150 kW, 1 × 150 kW | 507 | 406.8 | 385 | 1,945 |
| Scottish Midlands | | – | – | 280.7 | 200 | 650 |
In 1946 the following subsidiary companies and their power stations were operational.
Scottish Power Company subsidiaries power stations (1946) :
| Company | Power station | Type | Electricity supplied, MWh | Maximum load, kW |
| Fife | Dunfermline | Steam | 7,432 | 10,850 |
| Grampian | Arbroath | Steam | 2,548 | 4,120 |
| Grampian | Ballater | Oil | 1.20 | 74 |
| Grampian | Broara | Oil | 68.6 | 470 |
| Grampian | Elgin | Oil | 83.2 | 450 |
| Grampian | Fochabers | Oil | 2.92 | 42 |
| Grampian | Lairg | Oil | 291.6 | 160 |
| Grampian | Loch Luichart | Hydro | 13,219 | 2,035 |
| Grampian | Oban | Oil | 75.1 | 950 |
| Grampian | Perth | Steam | 442 | 3,247 |
| Grampian | Rannoch | Hydro | 157,273 | 44,520 |
| Grampian | Tummel | Hydro | 113,427 | 23,950 |
| North of Scotland | Brechin | Steam | 3.19 | 50 |
| Scottish Central | Bonnybridge | Steam | 68,625.7 | 52,770 |
| Scottish Southern | Galashiels | Steam | 5,157.3 | 5,805 |

## Operations 1910–1948

Outline operational details of the Scottish Power Company over its lifetime are summarised in the table. The data demonstrates the significant growth of the company.
Scottish Power Company key parameters 1910 to 1948 :
| Year | 1910 | 1920 | 1927 | 1930 | 1937 | 1948 |
| Generating capacity, MW | 1.8 | | | 80.0 | 152.322 | 181.76 |
| Connected load, MW | 1.4 | | 22.0 | 63.790 | | 457.5 |
| Electricity sold, MWh | 2,000 | 13,030 (1922) | 26,600 | 70,000 | | 473,000 |
| Power lines, miles | 18.25 | | 150 | | 3,000 | 5,185 |
| Consumers | | | 1,400 | 19,264 | 63,000 | 136,800 |
| Capital, £ | 93,174 | 353,858 | 3,440,173 | 4,000,000 | 6,000,000 | 15,000,000 |
| Subsidiary companies | 1 | | 6 | 10 | 15 | 21 |
Individual power stations continued to operate following nationalisation. These Included Dunfermline (25.4 MW); Bonnybridge (37 MW); and Galashiels (6.625 MW).

## Financial

The capital available to the company is shown on the table above. The net profit (£1000) from the company's operations is shown on the graph.

## Dissolution

Under the terms of the Electricity Act 1947 the British electricity was nationalized on 1 April 1948. The Scottish Power Company was dissolved and its infrastructure such as power stations and power lines were vested in the South East Scotland Electricity Board.