Aluminium Ingot
West Highland Museum

In 1929, the Lochaber aluminium smelter opened in Fort William. The British Aluminium Company had developed an area of 303 square miles around Ben Nevis where there is an average rainfall of 406 cm per year. This was ideal for the hydro-electric scheme that would be needed to manufacture the aluminium.

This small block of aluminium was made from the first cast produced on 30 December 1929. The ingot was given to one of the senior members of the construction staff.

The smelter has been an important employer in Fort William for more than 90 years. It is still operational and the last remaining aluminium smelter in the United Kingdom.