Loch Laggan

Loch Laggan
Loch Laggan
Location Lochaber, Highland, Scotland
Coordinates 56°56′53″N 4°29′24″W / 56.9481°N 4.4901°W / 56.9481; -4.4901Coordinates: 56°56′53″N 4°29′24″W / 56.9481°N 4.4901°W / 56.9481; -4.4901[1]
Type freshwater loch
Primary inflows River Pattack[2]
Primary outflows River Spean[2]
Basin countries Scotland
Max. length 7 mi (11 km)[2]
Max. width 0.66 mi (1.06 km)[2]
Surface area 216.5 ha (535 acres)[1]
Average depth 68 ft (21 m)[2]
Max. depth 174 ft (53 m)[2]
Water volume 5,600,000,000 cu ft (160,000,000 m3)[2]
Surface elevation 248 m (814 ft)[1]
Islands 9[1]

Loch Laggan is a freshwater loch situated approximately 6.5 mi (10.5 km) to the west of Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands. The loch has an irregular shape, runs nearly northeast to southwest and is approximately 7 mi (11 km) in length. It has an average depth of 68 ft (21 m) and is 174 ft (53 m) at its deepest. The eastern end of the loch features the largest freshwater beach in Britain. Since 1934 Loch Laggan has been a reservoir, retained behind the Laggan Dam,[3] forming part of the Lochaber hydro-electric scheme. At the northeast end of the loch is the hamlet of Kinloch Laggan.

The loch was surveyed[2] on 2 and 3 of June 1902 by Sir John Murray, T.R.N. Johnston, James Parsons and James Murray and was later charted[4] as part of the Bathymetrical Survey of Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland 1897-1909.

The A86 road from Spean Bridge to Kingussie follows the loch's north shore. The River Pattack flows into the head of the loch just below the road bridge at Kinloch Laggan. The boundary of the Cairngorms National Park wraps around the head of the loch. A short section of the River Spean connects the natural loch with the reservoir downstream and this river continues westwards below Laggan Dam. Two other substantial watercourses empty into the loch, the Allt Labhrach which drains Lochan an h-Earba which lies southeast of Loch Laggan and Allt Coire Ardair which rises beneath Creag Meagaidh. The remains of an island dwelling lie in the middle of the loch near Ardverikie.[5]

The loch featured in the popular BBC series Monarch of the Glen as Loch Bogle.

Loch Laggan (mostly its castle) is featured in the Temeraire series of novels, being used as a base to raise dragons, because of geothermal heat sources.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Loch Laggan". British lakes. British Lakes. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Bathymetrical Survey of the Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland, 1897-1909, Lochs of the Lochy Basin". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  3. ↑ "Record Details - Loch Laggan Hydro Electric Dam". Highland Historic Environment Record. Highland Council. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  4. ↑ "Loch Laggan and Lochan na H-Earba (Vol. 4, Plate 85), Bathymetrical Survey, 1897-1909". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  5. ↑ Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 scale mapping


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.