Loch Ailsh

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Loch Ailsh
Loch Ailsh - geograph.org.uk - 1752943.jpg
Loch Ailsh from its south shore, with Ben More Assynt in the background
Sutherland UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Loch Ailsh
Location Scottish Highlands
Coordinates 58°03′18″N4°51′25″W / 58.05500°N 4.85694°W / 58.05500; -4.85694
Primary inflows River Oykel, Allt na Cailliche
Primary outflows River Oykel
Basin  countriesScotland, United Kingdom
Max. length1.46 km (0.91 mi)
Max. width1.42 km (0.88 mi)
Surface elevation150 m (490 ft)

Loch Ailsh is a freshwater loch in Sutherland, Scotland, located 2.6km northeast of the A837. It sits on the River Oykel among plantation woodland.

The loch's name likely derives from the same Scottish Gaelic root as Loch Alsh, Loch Aillse, meaning "foaming lake".

Benmore Lodge, a holiday cottage, sits on a sandy beach at the loch's northeast end. [1] A chambered cairn, dating from the Neolithic period, lies just south of the loch, on the west bank of the River Oykel. [2]

Loch Ailsh is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and one of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's designated protected areas, meaning any fish caught on the loch must be returned. It is a key breeding site for the UK's population of black-throated diver. [3]

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References

  1. "Benmore Lodge - Assynt - Sutherland". Benmore Lodge Assynt Sutherland. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  2. "Loch Ailsh | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  3. "Rules & Regulations for Loch Fishing". Oykel Bridge Hotel. Retrieved 2024-05-15.