Kinlochleven

Kinlochleven
Kinlochleven
Kinlochleven is located in Lochaber
Kinlochleven
Kinlochleven
Location within the Lochaber area
Population760 (2022)[1]
OS grid referenceNN186618
Council area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townKINLOCHLEVEN
Postcode districtPH50
Dialling code01855
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
56°42′48″N 4°57′55″W / 56.713248°N 4.965287°W / 56.713248; -4.965287

Kinlochleven (/ˌkɪnlɒxˈlvən/) (Scottish Gaelic: Ceann Loch Lìobhann) is a coastal village located in Lochaber, in the Scottish Highlands and lies at the eastern end of Loch Leven. To the north lie the Mamores ridge; to the south lie the mountains flanking Glen Coe.

The village was formed from two previously separate small communities – Kinlochmore to the north of the River Leven in Inverness-shire and Kinlochbeg to the south of the Leven in Argyll – following the construction of an aluminium smelter and associated housing for its employees. The processing plant was powered by a hydroelectric scheme situated in the mountains above,[2] and made Kinlochleven the first village in the world to have every house connected to electricity, coining the phrase "The Electric Village".[3] In 1991, the village (according to annual census returns) had just over 1000 inhabitants in some 420 households. Today it is a notable tourist destination and centre for mountain pursuits.

  1. ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  2. ^ "History". kinlochleven.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011.
  3. ^ "About Ben Nevis in Fort William Scotland". visit-fortwilliam.co.uk.