1975: When petrol was 78p per gallon and the first smolts went into Loch Leven
“Clearing one of my drawers recently, I discovered a diary from 1975 containing references to the first input of smolts into the Loch Leven site on the 28th of May,” an email from Ron Stevenson reads. “I was the young site manager at the time – 50 years ago, along with an even younger Paul MacIntyre.
“The Leven site has now been operational for 50 years, and over that time must have provided employment locally, and economy into the community, not to mention a marvellous contribution to the salmon farming output in general, with minimal environmental impact within the loch. I still have the original site diary for Leven and many anecdotes on how the industry developed from such a small start.
“Back then, one gallon of petrol was £0.78, and full accommodation in a nearby guest house for Paul MacIntyre (dinner B&B) was the princely sum of £13.50 per week!
“A lot has changed since then, not to mention advancements and developments in the aquaculture industry – an industry that provided me with a very rewarding career.
“I really think that 50 years of production from the Leven site is something for the industry to be proud of.”
1975 to 2025
Having read Ron’s email, it was only right to invite him back to our Loch Leven site along with his old workmate, Paul MacIntyre, who worked in the industry until his retirement last year, to reminisce and see how the industry has changed since the early days.
Ron and Paul visited on 18th February and met with current Loch Leven farm manager, Andy Martin.
As you can see from the video, Ron and Paul had a great time discussing the old days and getting to know how the farm operates in 2025. They even had time to recreate an old photo from 1978!
“Thank you very much for the visit,” Ron said.
“It was great to see Paul again, and it was absolutely marvellous to see the mechanical and technological advancements in place and working so well. None of this can be achieved without teamwork and great knowledge which has been earned and put to great use by your company.”
