TAY OPENING - VERY WELCOME ANNOUNCEMENT RE RIVER GARRY

Jim Smith of SSE, with Claire Mercer Nairne and Calum McRoberts, the ghillie,
heading out in the boat to make the first cast at the opening ceremony at Meikleour

The guest of honour at yesterday's opening ceremony at Meikleour was SSE’s Managing Director of Generation Jim Smith.  Mr Smith made the very welcome announcement that SSE will shortly commence engineering work to restore flow to the highly abstracted upper River Garry. The Struan Weir at the foot of this stretch of river has just been breached to allow salmon to make use of the rewatered river. Although there is much still to be done, this is great news and Pitlochry Angling Club members and visitors will benefit from the increased salmon runs which will result. Mr Smith also gave the Tay a good tipple to bring luck in the coming season and made the first cast. Large numbers of people turned out both here and at the other main ceremony to watch and many also fished - two springers were caught at Meikleour.