Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser has welcomed plans from SSE to build a new £4m visitor centre at Pitlochry Dam.
The dam at the head of Loch Faskally and its fish ladder already attract 50,000 visitors each year and SSE believes the attraction, which will open in the autumn of 2016, could double the number of visitors.
The company said the visitor centre would use the latest technology to celebrate the story of the engineers who brought hydro power to Scotland.
It forecasts the centre will employ up to 12 people during the tourist season.
Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“This is a significant investment from SSE in the local Pitlochry economy and will hopefully strengthen the Highland Perthshire area as a place to visit.
“50,000 people a visit the dam each year and a new visitor centre will hopefully capitalise on what is already an extremely popular attraction.
“The creation of a further 12 private sector jobs during the holiday season can only be good news for people in the area.
“Hydro power will play an ever-increasing role in Scotland’s energy future and people across the Highlands were amongst the first to utilise hydro power to secure clean and reliable energy.”