Loch Awe
| Loch Awe | ||
|---|---|---|
| Loch Obha ( Primary inflows River Orchy, Kames River | | |
| Primary outflows | River Awe | |
| Catchment area | 840 km2 (320 sq mi) | |
| Basin countries | Scotland | |
| Max. length | 41 km (25 mi) | |
| Max. width | 1 km (0.62 mi) | |
| Surface area | 38.5 km2 (14.9 sq mi) | |
| Average depth | 32 m (105 ft) | |
| Max. depth | 93.6 m (307 ft) | |
| Water volume | 1.2 km3 (0.29 cu mi) | |
| Residence time | 0.7 year | |
| Shore length1 | 129 km (80 mi) | |
| Surface elevation | 36.2 m (119 ft) | |
| Islands | Innis Chonnell, Inishail, Innis Chonain | |
| Settlements | Lochawe | |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | ||
Loch Awe (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Obha; also sometimes anglicised as Lochawe, Lochaw, or Lochow) is a large body of freshwater in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. It has also given its name to a village on its banks, variously known as Loch Awe or Lochawe. There are islands within the loch such as Innis Chonnell and Inishail.
The loch
It is the third largest freshwater loch in Scotland with a surface area of 38.5 square kilometres (14.9 sq mi). It is the longest freshwater loch in Scotland, measuring 41 kilometres (25 mi) from end to end with an average width of 1-kilometre (0.62 mi). The loch runs approximately south-west to north-east, roughly parallel to the two sea lochs of Loch Etive and Loch Fyne. Via the River Awe and Loch Etive it drains westward from its northern end and thus into the Atlantic Ocean. At the narrowest section of the loch are North Port (Taychreggan Hotel) and South Port (Portsonachan Hotel). Once used by cattle drovers, a ferry ran between these shores to facilitate crossing to markets beyond. The Transatlantic Cable, which runs through the village of Kilchrenan, was laid across at this point in 1955.
Hydroelectric schemes
Loch Awe is the site of two hydroelectric facilities. One, Inverawe power station (owned by SSE - formerly Scottish and Southern Energy, originally the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board 1943-1990), is a conventional hydro power scheme created by damming the River Awe in the Pass of Brander at Awe Barrage, and feeding the water through a large submerged tunnel; thus generating electricity as it emerges at the power station and rejoins the River Awe, flowing into Loch Etive. The turbine is of the Kaplan type, designed and constructed by Boving and Company of London, and develops 40,500 brake horsepower. This drives a single 30.5 MW English Electric alternator via a vertical shaft.
Water is also passed through the Awe Barrage, powering 2x Neyrpic 375 kW bulb turbines as it does so. In so doing, this water provides a constant flow into the upper River Awe. A fish pass also exists at Awe Barrage to allow the passage of spawning salmon into Loch Awe and beyond. Despite continued faith in fish passes since the 1800s, research shows that they hinder upstream migration of salmon. The young salmon (smolts), eventually pass downstream either through the Inverawe hydro power station or the barrage structure. The hydro station features a slow rotating Kaplan turbine, which delays the passage of smolts, discourages descent, and increases predation by fish such as pike and brown trout. Both Inverawe power station and the associated Awe Barrage were constructed by the North of Scotland Hydro Electricity Board during the late 1950s/early 1960s.
The second is a more unusual
A third project, located at Balliemeanoch, aims to store 1.5 GW for 30 hours.[1]
Tourism
Loch Awe is renowned for its trout fishing. Salmon pass through the loch, coming past the barrage in the River Awe and continuing into the River Orchy. Loch Awe contains several ruined castles on islands, and at the northern end has one of the most photographed castles in Scotland,
History
One of the oldest Argyll clans, the Macarthurs, owned lands around Loch Awe which was populated in close proximity with MacGregors, Campbells and Stewarts.[2][3]
Clan Macarthur artefacts, including the four-poster state bed, are held at Inveraray Castle.[4]
It was from Loch Awe and surrounding area that Clan Campbell established itself as a powerful family. In 1308, Robert the Bruce defeated the Clan MacDougall at the Battle of the Pass of Brander downstream from the loch.
Environs
The
- Lochawe village and Loch Awe railway station
At the northern tip of the Loch,
See also
- Cailleach
- List of reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom
References
- ^ "ILI Group to develop 1.5GW pumped storage hydro project". Solar Power Portal. 8 February 2022. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022.
- ^ "Clan MacArthur, their Castle and information".
- ^ Anderson, William (1862). The Scottish Nation; Or The Surnames, Families, Literature, Honours, And Biographical History Of The People Of Scotland. 2. Edinburgh: A. Fullarton & Co.. p. 709.
- ^ "First Floor". Inveraray Castle. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013.
External links
- The Loch Awe community web site
- Fishing-Argyll web site
- Video tour of St Conan's Kirk, Loch Awe[permanent dead link]
- Link to website Archived 16 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine of Alexander Carrick, sculptor of war memorial and St. Conan's Kirk
- Three Lakes Challenge
