Lochan Fada, Letterewe

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Lochan Fada
Lochan Fada in early morning - geograph.org.uk - 785133.jpg
Lochan Fada in early morning. Beinn Lair on the left and A'Mhaighdean on the right.
Ross and Cromarty UK relief location map.jpg
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Lochan Fada
Location in Wester Ross
Location NH02617109
Coordinates 57°41′18″N5°19′21″W / 57.6883°N 5.3225°W / 57.6883; -5.3225
Type freshwater loch
Basin  countriesScotland
Max. length5.8 km (3.6 mi) [1]
Max. width0.9 km (0.56 mi) [1]
Surface area377 ha (930 acres) [2]
Average depth102.5 ft (31.2 m) [1]
Max. depth248 ft (76 m) [1]
Water volume4,153,363,991 cu ft (117,610,171.0 m3) [1]
Shore length115 km (9.3 mi) [2]
Surface elevation311 m (1,020 ft) [2]
Max. temperature51.5 °F (10.8 °C)
Min. temperature44.1 °F (6.7 °C)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lochan Fada (The long loch) is a large remote and deep freshwater loch that is located three miles north-east of Loch Maree in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. [1] [2]

Contents

Geography

Lochan Fada lies almost directly north of Loch Maree running in a parallel direction, separated by a boggy plateau that runs the length of Loch Maree and constitutes the majority of Letterewe Forest. [3] The plateau is bounded by Slioch, one of Scotland's Munros, known as "The Spear" at 981 metres (3218 feet) that dominates the south-eastern end. [4] In the middle of the plateau is Beinn Lair at (859 m) with several smaller peaks at the north-western end with the highest being Beinn Airigh Charr at 792 m. Within the ridge is small remote Loch Garbhaig that lies below the northern cliffs of Slioch.

A vast number of lochs and lochans surround Lochan Fada. To the north-west lies the largest at Fionn Loch in Letterewe Forest. The area directly north of the loch contains a large number of very small lochans grouped around the mountain Ruadh Stac Mor at 919 metres (3,015 ft). To the north-east lies Loch a' Bhraoin. The loch is drained by "Abhainn an Fhasaig", which has carved a steep, rocky gorge, through a waterfall eventually reaching Loch Maree.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 John, Murray; Lawrence, Pullar. Bathymetrical Survey of the Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland, 1897–1909 Lochs of the Ewe Basin Volume II – Lochan Fada. p. 219. Retrieved 8 December 2023.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Lochan Fada". Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research (SNIFFER). Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  3. Sandison, Bruce (1997). Trout & Salmon Rivers and Lochs of Scotland. Ludlow: Stackpole Books. p. 209. ISBN   978-1-873674-31-4.
  4. Townsend, Chris (30 March 2011). Scotland. Milnathorpe, Cumbria: Cicerone Press Limited. p. 411. ISBN   978-1-84965-353-4.