Loch Awe

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Loch Awe
Loch Obha (Scottish Gaelic)
Loch Awe - geograph.org.uk - 171800.jpg
Loch Awe, Argyll & Bute
Argyll and Bute UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Loch Awe
Location within Argyll and Bute
Location Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Coordinates 56°17′52″N5°14′06″W / 56.29778°N 5.23500°W / 56.29778; -5.23500
Type freshwater loch
Primary inflows River Orchy, Kames River
Primary outflows River Awe
Catchment area 840 km2 (320 sq mi)
Basin  countriesScotland
Max. length41 km (25 mi)
Max. width1 km (0.62 mi)
Surface area38.5 km2 (14.9 sq mi)
Average depth32 m (105 ft)
Max. depth93.6 m (307 ft)
Water volume1.2 km3 (0.29 cu mi)
Residence time 0.7 year
Shore length1129 km (80 mi)
Surface elevation36.2 m (119 ft)
Islands Innis Chonnell, Inishail, Innis Chonain
SettlementsLochawe
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.

Contents

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 pumped storage facility, using an artificial loch in the hills above Loch Awe. Water is pumped up to the top pool (the headpond), during times of surplus power; and released to power 4 pump/generators situated inside the mountain at times of peak demand. The second project, known as Cruachan from the name of the hill above, (Ben Cruachan) has a visitor centre, which includes tours into the heart of the mountain. This scheme has an installed power capacity of 440 MW, and an energy capacity of 7 GWh. It was built by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board before transferring into the ownership of Scottish Power, where it remained for many years. It was acquired by the Drax Energy group in January 2019.

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, Kilchurn Castle, which in summer may be visited by a short boat trip or by a half mile walk from a small car park just after the bridge over the River Orchy. Saint Conan's Kirk and Chapel of St Fyndoca are located in Loch Awe.

History

"Hotel and Ben Lui, Loch Awe, Scotland", ca. 1890 - 1900. (Hotel and Ben Lui, Loch Awe, Scotland) (LOC) (3449513817).jpg
"Hotel and Ben Lui, Loch Awe, Scotland", ca. 1890 - 1900.

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.

Vessels operated on the loch

List of ships which operated on Loch Awe. [5]

LaunchedShip's name
at launch		Tonnage
(GRT)		Notes
1861 SS Eva 95Built by J.R. Swan, in Kelvin Dock, Maryhill, Glasgow and launched on Loch Awe in July 1861. [6]
1863 SS Queen of the Lake In service on the Loch in 1865. Appears to have sunk in 1869 following ice damage [7] but reflected and operated until around 1876.
1876 SS Lochawe 97Built by A. & J. Inglis in Pointhouse yard, Glasgow for David Hutcheson & David MacBrayne. She was launched on 30 May 1876. [8] Length 101 feet (31 m), breadth 16.8 feet (5.1 m) and depth 8.8 feet (2.7×10−6 Mm). Laid up in 1914 and scrapped in 1924.
1882 SS Countess of Breadalbane 95Built by the Abercorn Shipbuilding Company in Paisley, paid for by the Earl of Breadalbane for the Loch Awe Hotel Company to sail in connection with trains of the Callendar an Oban Railway. Launched on Monday 29 June 1882. [9] Length of 100 feet (30 m), a breadth of 14 feet (4.3 m) a depth of 11 feet (3.4 m) and a draft of 7 feet (2.1 m). In 1922 ownership transferred to the Caledonian Steam Packet Company and she was broken up in 1936.
1881 SS Eagle Cargo vessel built for William Campbell Muir of Innistrynich. Sank in 1936. [10]
1883 SS Kilchurn Castle Built in 1882 on the River Clyde. Launched in 1883 for Thomas Cameron of the Port Sonachan Hotel. Replaced in 1895 by the TSS Caledonia.
SS Margery Cargo steamer
1895 TSS Caledonia 91Built by Bow, McLachlan and Company, Thistle Works in Paisley for Thomas Cameron of the Port Sonachan Hotel. Launched on 6 May 1895. [11] She was 91 tons, with a length of 80 feet (24 m), a breadth of 14.5 feet (4.4 m) and a depth of 8 feet (2.4 m). Sold in 1918, later moved to Belgium and reported lost in 1938.
1899Motor Yacht Sonachan16Daimler motor launch designed by J. Paterson of Greenock and built by Paul Jones.& Son, Gourock for Mr. E.S. Macdougall of Sonachan House, Argyllshire. She was launched on 31 July 1899. [12]
1901SS Ben CruachanCargo vessel built by Robert Rodger of Port Glasgow for Thomas Dow. In 1921 she was converted from steam to diesel propulsion and renamed M.V. Glenorchy. She was withdrawn in 1935.
1900 SS Growley (I) Built by Scott’s Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Greenock.
1936 SS Growley (II) Taken by the Admiralty at the outbreak of the Second World War. Wrecked near Inverary.
1936 MV Countess of Breadalbane 106For the Caledonian Steam Packet Company built by William Denny & Bros,. Dumbarton. Yard number 106. Transferred to the River Clyde in 1952. Broken up in 1999.

Environs

Loch Awe showing some of the islands in the loch, including Innis Chonan Lochaweandinnischonain.jpg
Loch Awe showing some of the islands in the loch, including Innis Chonan

The A85 road and the West Highland Line run along the northern bank of the loch, and the A819 follows the south-east bank for a short distance up to the village of Cladich. From there the single-track B840 runs for the remaining distance to the head of the loch at Ford and then joining the A816 a short distance north of Kilmartin. Similarly, on the north-west side an unclassified single-track road runs the full length from the A85 in Taynuilt to Ford.

Lochawe village and Loch Awe railway station

At the northern tip of the Loch, a railway station was opened in 1880 when the Callander and Oban Railway passed that way, and a large luxury hotel was created (Loch Awe Hotel, 1871). There is also the Ben Cruachan Inn which used to be the coach-house for the hotel. A village has grown up around the hotel, essentially running along the single strip defined by the A85 road. A steamer service used to operate on the loch from the pier just below the hotel, stopping at Portsonachan, Taycreggan, Eredine and Ford. The village now includes St Conan’s Kirk, one of the most interesting pieces of Church architecture in Scotland. Confusingly, while the railway station is called Loch Awe, the village is contracted to Lochawe. The author Mary Stewart resided in her Lochard home, House of Letterawe, during the last several decades of her long life.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argyll and Bute</span> Council area of Scotland

Argyll and Bute is one of 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod. The administrative centre for the council area is in Lochgilphead at Kilmory Castle, a 19th-century Gothic Revival building and estate. The current council leader is Councillor Jim Lynch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan Campbell</span> Highland Scottish clan

Clan Campbell is a Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The chief of the clan became Earl of Argyll and later Duke of Argyll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A85 road</span> Major road in Scotland

The A85 is a major road in Scotland. It runs east from Oban along the south bank of Loch Etive, through Lochawe and Tyndrum, Crianlarich, Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Crieff before passing through Perth, where it crosses the River Tay via Perth Bridge to Bridgend. Its name between Crieff and Perth is the Crieff Road. It then runs concurrently with the A90 to the Swallow Roundabout, before diverging to follow the Invergowrie Bypass, Riverside Avenue and Riverside Drive before terminating in Dundee city centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilchurn Castle</span> Historic structure in Argyll and Bute, Scotland

Kilchurn Castle is a ruined structure on a rocky peninsula at the northeastern end of Loch Awe, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It was first constructed in the mid-15th century as the base of the Campbells of Glenorchy, who extended both the castle and their territory in the area over the next 150 years. After the Campbells became Earls of Breadalbane and moved to Taymouth Castle, Kilchurn fell out of use and was in ruins by 1770. It is now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland and is open to the public in summer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Awe railway station</span> Railway station in Argyll and Bute, Scotland

Loch Awe railway station is a railway station serving the village of Lochawe, on the northern bank of Loch Awe, in western Scotland. This station is on the Oban branch of the West Highland Line, originally part of the Callander and Oban Railway. It is sited 49 miles 48 chains (79.8 km) from Callander via Glen Ogle, between Dalmally and Falls of Cruachan. ScotRail manage the station and operate all services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of the Pass of Brander</span> Battle part of the civil war between the Bruce and Balliol factions

The Battle of the Pass of Brander in Scotland forms a small part of the wider struggle known as the Wars of Scottish Independence, and a large part of the civil war between the Bruce and Balliol factions, a parallel and overlapping conflict. It was a victory for King Robert the Bruce over the MacDougalls of Argyll, kinsmen of John Comyn, also known as the Red Comyn, who had been killed by Bruce and his adherents at Dumfries in 1306. The sources do not allow us to determine the date of the battle with any degree of precision: various dates between 1308 and 1309 have been suggested, though the late summer of 1308 would seem to be the most likely. Traquair dates it to August 1308.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connel</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Connel is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is situated on the southern shore of Loch Etive. The Lusragan Burn flows through the village and into the loch.

Dalmally is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is near the A85 road and is served by Dalmally railway station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taynuilt</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Taynuilt is a large village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland located at the western entrance to the narrow Pass of Brander.

The Bridge of Awe was a triple-spanned arch bridge near Taynuilt in Argyll, Scotland.

St Conan's Tower is a 19th-century granite-built country house, near Lochawe in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Shira</span> River in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK

River Shira is the river that runs for about 7 miles through Glen Shira, in Argyll and Bute, west of Scotland. Originating to the north-east at 350 metres (1,150 ft) altitude, near the start of the River Fyne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falls of Cruachan derailment</span> Derailment of a ScotRail passenger train on 6 June 2010, on the West Highland Line

The Falls of Cruachan derailment occurred on 6 June 2010 on the West Highland Line in Scotland, when a passenger train travelling between Glasgow and Oban hit boulders on the line and derailed near Falls of Cruachan railway station, after a landslide. There was a small fire and one carriage was left in a precarious position on the 50-foot-high (15-metre) embankment. Sixty passengers were evacuated, some with minor injuries; eight of those were hospitalised as a precaution. However, no people were killed. In addition to blocking the line, the incident also caused the closure of the A85 road below the rail line. Both road and rail were closed for a week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cruachan Power Station</span> Hydroelectric power station in Scotland

The Cruachan Power Station is a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK. The scheme can provide 440 MW of power and produced 705 GWh in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Awe</span> River in the Southwest Highlands of Scotland

The River Awe is a short river in Argyll and Bute, Southwest Highlands of Scotland by which the freshwater Loch Awe empties into Loch Etive, a sea loch. The river flows from a barrage which stretches across the end of a deep arm of the loch which protrudes northwestward through the Pass of Brander from the northeast–southwest aligned Loch Awe. The river is accompanied for much of its length both by the railway from Glasgow to Oban and by the A85 road both of which cross the river halfway along its length. The Awe is also crossed by a minor road bridge and a foot bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenorchy Parish Church</span> Church in Dalmally, Scotland

Glenorchy Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland in the village of Dalmally, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is the parish church of the parish of Glenorchy and Inishail. The church is also known as Glenorchy Kirk, and was historically known as the Church of Dysart. There have been many alternate spellings, including "Dysert", "Disart", "Glenwrquha", "Glenvrquha", "Glenvrquhay", "Clachandysert", "Clachan Disert, "Claghan-Diseirt" and "Dysart and Glenurquhie".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Conan's Kirk</span> Church in Argyll and Bute, Scotland

St Conan's Kirk is located in the village of Loch Awe in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. In a 2016 Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland public poll it was voted one of the Top 10 buildings in Scotland of the last 100 years. It was established as a chapel of ease by the Campbells of Innis Chonan. The church is protected as a category A listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pass of Brander</span>

The Pass of Brander is a mountain pass in the Highlands of Scotland, where the main railway and road to Oban makes its way between Cruachan, a 3,689-foot (1,124 m) mountain, and Loch Awe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Awe Hydro-Electric Scheme</span> Power stations near Loch Awe, Scotland

The Awe Hydro-Electric Scheme was the penultimate scheme developed by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board. It centres around Loch Awe, in Argyll and Bute, on the southern edge of the Scottish Highlands. It consists of three power stations, two conventional hydro-electric stations, and the Cruachan power station, the first large pumped storage scheme built by the Board. It was completed in 1965.

References

  1. ↑ "ILI Group to develop 1.5GW pumped storage hydro project". Solar Power Portal. 8 February 2022. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022.
  2. ↑ "Clan MacArthur, their Castle and information".
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ "First Floor". Inveraray Castle. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013.
  5. ↑ Duckworth, Christian Leslie Dyce; Langmuir, Graham Easton (1990). Clyde River and Other Steamers. Brown, Son & Ferguson, Ltd. Glasgow. p. 162. ISBN   0851745652.
  6. ↑ "Steamer on Loch Awe" . Inverness Courier. Scotland. 25 July 1861. Retrieved 30 November 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "Greenock" . Shipping and Mercantile Gazette. England. 31 December 1869. Retrieved 30 November 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ↑ "Launch of a Tourist Steamer on Loch Awe" . Oban Times and Argyllshire Advertiser. England. 3 June 1876. Retrieved 30 November 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ "New Steamer on Loch Awe" . Railway News. England. 3 June 1882. Retrieved 30 November 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ "Chatty side of the News" . Edinburgh Evening News. England. 21 June 1950. Retrieved 30 November 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ↑ "A handsomely-built steel twin-screw steamer…" . Railway News. England. 11 May 1895. Retrieved 30 November 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ↑ "Yesterday afternoon" . Daily Record. Scotland. 1 August 1899. Retrieved 30 November 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
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