The Turn of the Screw’…not the renowned Henry James novel, but the story of our magnificent Archimedean screw…the new source of hydro power at Ardtornish Estate.

So apart from producing a mesmerising water motion just what is an Archimedean screw?

Named after Archimedes of Syracuse, a mathematician, engineer and astronomer born in 287BC. The screw was created by him to transfer the excess water leaked in to the hull of a ship that he designed for King Hiero II. There are those however that say the method was used in Egypt many years before Archimedes was obsessing over the surface area of a sphere!

The principle of the screw then was to transfer water from a low lying source to a higher level to facilitate irrigation. Our screw however works in reverse with the weight of the water traveling down the screw causing it to turn, that rotational energy can be extracted by a generator as power…ta dah!

This reverse turn of the screw is also used in fish farming to transport the fish out of the farming space with the minimum amount of human handling.

For Ardtornish the installation of the Archimedean screw supports our commitment to renewable energy and environmental protection. Though the screw is a first on the estate, we have established other Hydro Plants on site, and will continue to invest in the development and introduction of new technologies going forward.