Initially the mill lade produced enough power for the mills but as production expanded more cheap energy was needed.
In 1920 Messrs Boving & Co of London were asked to examine the possibility of setting up a better system of using water power from the Tweed to supply the mills.

The first step was to make the lade more effective, and this was done by creating a greater and deeper fall, but this wasn't enough.
Also, at night, the lade system produced power which was wasted.
The revolutionary solution was to build a huge reservoir in the hills and to use the surplus power to pump water from the Tweed up to the reservoir.
The next stage was to bring the water back down to drive a Pelton turbine to produce more power.

A ferro-concrete reservoir was built on Kirnie Law connected to the power house by a 9" pipe.
A funicular railway was built from the A72 up to the reservoir site to haul up all the materials used in construction – a total weight of 3,650 tons was carried on the railway.

As production in the mills declined, less power was required.
The system was dismantled and all that is left is the old reservoir.
Initially the mill lade produced enough power for the mills but as production expanded more cheap energy was needed. In 1920 Messrs Boving & Co of London were asked to examine the possibility of setting up a better system of using water power from the Tweed to supply the mills.
The first step was to make the lade more effective, and this was done by creating a greater and deeper fall, but this wasn't enough. Also, at night, the lade system produced power which was wasted. The revolutionary solution was to build a huge reservoir in the hills and to use the surplus power to pump water from the Tweed up to the reservoir. The next stage was to bring the water back down to drive a Pelton turbine to produce more power.
A ferro-concrete reservoir was built on Kirnie Law connected to the power house by a 9" pipe. A funicular railway was built from the A72 up to the reservoir site to haul up all the materials used in construction – a total weight of 3,650 tons was carried on the railway.
As production in the mills declined, less power was required. The system was dismantled and all that is left is the old reservoir.
Walkerburn