SSE Heritage

29/07/2026

Ever wondered what happens when someone visits our Corporate Archive? 📚👀

💻Many of the records in our care are available digitally through our catalogue at www.sseheritage.com but sometimes it’s necessary for researchers, colleagues, members of the public to view by appointment.

🧐 Before a visit, we identify and prepare relevant records, ensuring they can be accessed safely and responsibly.

✍🏻On arrival, visitors receive a short induction covering archive handling and conditions of access, then use our reading room to examine documents, photographs etc while we’re on hand to provide guidance and support.

As custodians of SSE’s Heritage, we carefully balance access with preservation to help ensure these unique records remain available for future generations

16/07/2026

It's Throwback Thursday and with the absence of any big anniversaries this month we're taking a delve into some of our archive boxes to re-discover some of our records that haven't been looked at in a while!

Box 267 was picked at random by Rubi our intern!

👉 Dick Thorpe's Gang 1964
👉 Ealing District Open Day - Electric Car 1984
👉 Early Carbon Arc Lamp - Portsmouth 1890s
👉 Exhibition at Church Hall Greenford 1965
👉 Miss Electric Lighting and Miss Gas Lighting Campaign 1930s
👉 Oil Leak Sniffer dogs 1983
👉 Pylon Used as a Washing Line 1936
👉 Southern Electric Light and Power Company Workers 1896
👉 Southern Electricity Service Vehicles with Drivers 1940s

That's quite a variety of historic photography!

To see more, you can search our catalogue at www.sseheritage.com 'Search our Collection'.

17/06/2026

This week we mark the 75 year anniversary of the death of Sir Edward MacColl, the original Chief Executive and Chief Engineer for the North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board, who sadly died on the eve of the opening of Pitlochry and Clunie hydro sites back in 1951.

Read more about it in our article here: https://www.sseheritage.com/news/2026/june/the-day-the-lights-dimmed

If you'd like to know more about our heritage please visit www.sseheritage.com or contact us with any queries at [email protected].

12/06/2026

Today saw the publication our our 2026 Annual Report and we’re very proud to be featured!

SSE’s heritage helps us build trust, make better decisions, feel proud of what we do, and continue making a positive difference for the future.

Heritage is also featured in this year’s Sustainability report so take a look to see what we’ve been up to!

Annual Report - https://lnkd.in/eqtS-rWX

Sustainability Report - https://lnkd.in/ecMaSDAz

04/06/2026

We can't quite believe it's been one year since the publication of 'The Highland Grid: The story of power transmission in the north', a focus on our SSEN Transmission business and it's predecessors over the last 100 years.

Read more about the background of the project and what we've been up to since the launch here: https://www.sseheritage.com/news/2026/june/one-year-on-the-highland-grid-story/

22/05/2026

First Poles, Lasting Legacy: 80 Years Since Morar and Lochalsh

On 21 and 22 May 1946, communities in Morar and Lochalsh witnessed a moment that would help transform life across the Highlands. In simple but symbolic ceremonies, the first distribution poles were raised within the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board area. The very first steps in delivering electricity to some of the most remote parts of the country.

Eighty years on, these events stand as powerful reminders of the vision and ambition that defined the Hydro Board’s early years. The raising of those first poles marked more than the start of an engineering programme; it signalled the beginning of a social and economic transformation, bringing light, power and opportunity to communities that had long been beyond the reach of the grid.

The photographs and speeches we hold in our Corporate Archive capture both the pride and the optimism of the moment. A sense that something profoundly important was underway.

What began with timber poles, hard ground, and determined teams would grow into a network that reshaped the Highlands and Islands, improving homes, industries and everyday life.

As we mark this 80th anniversary, we reflect on those pioneering efforts and the people behind them, whose work laid the foundations for the energy network we rely on today led by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.

To find out more about our Heritage visit www.sseheritage.com

15/05/2026

A final visit to the former Museum of Electricity in Christchurch this week!

Gillian O'Reilly our Head of Heritage reflects:

"Taking on responsibility for the site and its unique collection of artefacts introduced me to the world of visitor attractions – where storytelling, community engagement and footfall are key. But it was never quite that simple. Operating a Grade II listed power station within an active substation brings very real challenges, particularly around access.

With the help of dedicated professionals and supportive stakeholders, we were able to find new homes for the collection – from in-house displays that continue to tell SSE’s story, to carefully rehomed items that will be preserved elsewhere. The building itself will now return to an operational role, supporting Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks colleagues once again.

It’s been an incredible journey – full of learning, collaboration and friendships formed along the way. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together to ensure this important part of our heritage is respected, shared and carried forward in new ways.

Now, it’s on to the next chapter for this remarkable 1903 power station!"

07/05/2026

30/04/2026

On the final day of Archives & Records Association Scotland - ARA Scotland campaign, today is all about

So, why does an archive matter to SSE with a history spanning 8 decades?

It’s more than old records. Our Corporate Archive:

💡protects vital knowledge as people and systems change;
💡supports good governance; and
💡helps us learn from the past to make better decisions for the future.

It tells the story of the people, communities and ideas that have shaped who we are today – and helps build trust as we plan for the decades ahead.

23/04/2026

Today we're looking at and we're not short of them across our records!

From networks and renewables construction and maintenance to office workers and VIP visits, we've captured lots of milestone occasions over the last 8 decades in both the north of Scotland and central southern England.

To view more visit www.sseheritage.com and search our collection.

Archives & Records Association Scotland - ARA Scotland SSE plc