Profits made by selling bulk electricity to the Scottish lowlands would be used to fund "the economic development and social improvement of the North of Scotland."

[3] The first two major schemes promoted by the Board had been at Loch Sloy and Tummel-Garry, but both had been the subject of fierce opposition on the grounds of amenity and fishing.

The Board surveyed the area in 1946, and installed a number of rain gauges, to provide accurate data on water resources.

However, it also became clear that additional water could be obtained from adjacent river systems, to increase the amount of power that could be generated.

A base for 800 workmen was built on an abandoned military camp, and by Spring 1951, everything was in place for the main construction to begin.

Construction proceeded well until mid-June 1954, when four months of extremely wet weather made working with earth fill almost impossible.

[12] The tunnel from Lochan Sron Mor to Clachan power station, on the banks of Loch Fyne, was around 6 miles (9.7 km) long and 11 feet (3.4 m) in diameter.

Once the enormous machine hall had been excavated, a reinforced concrete arch roof was built over it, and rocks were used to return the ground surface to its original profile.

The Board were keen that data should be collected on its operation, in view of its potential benefits for systems which might soon include nuclear generating capacity.

[9] Sron Mor station began operating in Autumn 1957, around 18 months before the main dam and the final collecting aqueduct were completed.

Other streams could be diverted to increase the catchment area above the natural 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2), where the rainfall was around 125 inches (3,200 mm) per year.

By locating the power station on the banks of the River Fyne, a head of 800 feet (240 m) could be obtained, but the costs of the dam would make the scheme uneconomic.

Despite the risks that this would be the first dam of its type in the world, Fulton thought it had "an element of adventure" and the Board agreed to proceed.