In the year that will see Cruachan Power Station celebrate its 50th birthday, ScottishPower has announced that the station’s popular visitor centre has been awarded five stars by VisitScotland for the tenth year in a row. This award recognises the visitor experience at the hydro station as ‘exceptional’.
Situated in Argyll & Bute, the visitor centre nestles on the shores of Loch Awe, amongst some of Scotland's most beautiful scenery. Alongside it, built deep within the mountain of Ben Cruachan, the hydro power station is one of the country's most significant engineering achievements.
VisitScotland send assessors on unannounced ‘secret-shopper’ visits to evaluate attractions. The visit to Cruachan included a Hollow Mountain guided tour, a visit to the exhibition, a dish from the café menu and a purchase from the gift shop. Following this experience the assessor declared that the Visitor Centre was an “excellent visitor attraction” and that “All staff were very enthusiastic, professional and were naturally friendly and proactive”.
The ‘Hollow Mountain Café’, located within the visitor centre, was also highly recommended. The café achieved the ‘Taste our Best Award’, recognising and celebrating the provision and promotion of quality locally sourced food and drink.
Sarah Cameron, Cruachan Visitor Centre Manager, said, “It’s so rewarding for us to be recognised by Scotland’s national tourism body as a Five Star attraction. The visitor centre team take great pride in delivering exceptional customer care and this is reflected in our Five Star status. As well as investing in the operations of the power station, ScottishPower has also invested significantly in the visitor centre over the years to ensure that the people who come to see this engineering gem have the best experience possible.”
The visitor centre is now even better equipped for all the family following a major refurbishment earlier this year, including a new kids zone area and an exhibition to celebrate the upcoming 50th anniversary of the station in October.
