Mire Loch

Last updated

Mire Loch
Mire Loch 4.jpg
Seen from the high ground to the NW
Scottish Borders UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Mire Loch
Location Scottish Borders, Scotland
Coordinates 55°54′40″N2°08′28″W / 55.91111°N 2.14111°W / 55.91111; -2.14111 Coordinates: 55°54′40″N2°08′28″W / 55.91111°N 2.14111°W / 55.91111; -2.14111
Type freshwater loch, reservoir
Basin  countriesUnited Kingdom
Max. length600 m (2,000 ft)
Max. width50 m (160 ft)
Surface area3 ha (7.4 acres)
Surface elevation30 m (98 ft)
The outflow of Mire Loch with the ruined boat house in the background. Mire Loch outflow 1.jpg
The outflow of Mire Loch with the ruined boat house in the background.

Mire Loch is a man made freshwater loch situated on St Abb's Head in the Scottish Borders, just over a kilometre NW of the village of St. Abbs at grid reference NT912687 . The loch lies on land owned by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) and is approximately 600 metres long by 50 metres at its widest point. [1]

Contents

History

Mire Loch was originally an area of marshy land within the St. Abbs Head Fault. The fault separated the hard volcanic rocks of St. Abbs Head from the softer sedimentary rocks of the mainland. The glacial channel which follows the fault is marked by a distinctive inland valley across the Head which was fed by rainwater from the high ground on both sides and formed a boggy area which drained into the sea. [2]

Around the year 1900 it was decided to turn the boggy area into a recreation area. A dam was built to form a freshwater loch to be used for angling and waterfowl hunting, a nine-hole golf course was also constructed nearby. The use of the golf course was discontinued many years ago although there is some visible evidence of the old greens and tees. A boat house was built on the loch and this too has fallen into disrepair with most of the roof timbers now missing. [3] [4]

Present day

Today Mire Loch is a valued part of St. Abbs Head National Nature Reserve providing a home for freshwater birds such as little grebe, reed bunting, heron, mute swan, moorhen and sedge warbler. The fringing vegetation which is composed mostly of high reeds provides shelter and food for nesting birds as well as for migrants in spring and autumn. In early summer hundreds of herring gulls and kittiwakes bathe in the loch. In recent years the NTS has planted almost 1000 trees around the loch in an effort to provide extra cover for migrant birds. Most of these trees have been planted on the SW shore in a plantation dedicated to a diver who died off St. Abbs Head in 1981. [5] [6]

Eels, perch and stickleback all live in the loch which is also a breeding site for frogs and toads. [7] The loch has footpaths around its shores and walkers are encouraged by the NTS to include a circuit of the loch during their visit to St. Abb's Head although there is a warning that the paths can be quite muddy after rain. The loch has a stepped outflow which only runs for only several metres before disappearing down a man made drain, finding its way underground to the North Sea which is just 500 metres to the SE.

Related Research Articles

Loch Lomond Lake in Scotland

Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland and the Highlands. Traditionally forming part of the boundary between the counties of Stirlingshire and Dunbartonshire, Loch Lomond is split between the council areas of Stirling, Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire. Its southern shores are about 23 kilometres (14 mi) northwest of the centre of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. The Loch forms part of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park which was established in 2002.

Loch Morar A lake in Lochaber, Scotland

Loch Morar is a freshwater loch in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It is the fifth-largest loch by surface area in Scotland, at 26.7 km2 (10.3 sq mi), and the deepest freshwater body in the British Isles with a maximum depth of 310 m (1,017 ft). The loch was created by glacial action around 10,000 years ago, and has a surface elevation of 9 metres (30 ft) above sea level. It separates the traditional district of North Morar, from Arisaig and Moidart.

Glen Coe Glen in the Highlands of Scotland

Glen Coe is a glen of volcanic origins, in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies in the north of the county of Argyll, close to the border with the historic province of Lochaber, within the modern council area of Highland. The scenic beauty of the glen has led to its inclusion in the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe National Scenic Area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland. A review of the national scenic areas by Scottish Natural Heritage in 2010 made reference to the "soaring, dramatic splendour of Glen Coe", and "the suddenness of the transition between high mountain pass and the lightly wooded strath" in the lower glen. It also described the journey through the glen on the main A82 road as "one of the classic Highland journeys". The main settlement is the village of Glencoe located at the foot of the glen. The glen is regarded as the home of Scottish mountaineering and is popular with hillwalkers and climbers.

Ben Lawers

Ben Lawers is the highest mountain in the southern part of the Scottish Highlands. It lies to the north of Loch Tay, and is the highest point of a long ridge that includes seven Munros. It is the highest peak in Perthshire, and is the tenth highest Munro in Scotland. Ben Lawers was long thought to be over 4,000 feet (1,219.2 m) in height; accurate measurement in the 1870s showed it to be some 17 feet (5.2 m) short of this figure.

St Abbs Head

St Abb's Head is a rocky promontory by the village of St Abbs in Berwickshire, Scotland, and a national nature reserve administered by the National Trust for Scotland. St Abb's Head Lighthouse was designed and built by the brothers David Stevenson and Thomas Stevenson and began service on 24 February 1862.

Loch of the Lowes

Loch of the Lowes is a loch near Dunkeld in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The loch and the surrounding area are designated as a wildlife reserve, run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The loch is also a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), as well as forming part of a Special Area of Conservation.

Kintail

Kintail is an area of mountains in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland, located in the Highland Council area. It consists of the mountains to the north of Glen Shiel and the A87 road between the heads of Loch Duich and Loch Cluanie; its boundaries, other than Glen Shiel, are generally taken to be the valleys of Strath Croe and Gleann Gaorsaic to the north and An Caorann Mòr to the east. Although close to the west coast the mountains lie on the main east-west watershed of Scotland, as the northern side of Kintail drains via Glen Affric to the east coast.

Muir of Dinnet

Muir of Dinnet is a national nature reserve (NNR) situated close to the village of Dinnet in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The reserve extends 1166 hectares from the River Dee to Culbean hill, and encompasses a wide range of habitats including dry heath, raised bog, woodland, and two lochs: Loch Kinord and Loch Davan. Muir of Dinnet was first declared a NNR in 1977 due to its value as a habitat for flora and fauna, and its important geomorphological features, the most striking of which is the Burn O'Vat. Muir of Dinnet is owned by Dinnet Estate and managed by NatureScot, who provide a visitor centre and a range of other facilities including waymarked paths and a car park. As of 2012 it was estimated that approximately 40,000 people visited Muir of Dinnet each year.

Ben Oss

Ben Oss is a Scottish mountain situated in the Stirling Council area, six kilometres south west of the village of Tyndrum within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

Am Bàthach

Am Bàthach is a Scottish mountain situated at the head of Glen Shiel, at the western end of Loch Cluanie some 38 km (24 mi) south east of Kyle of Lochalsh.

Chno Dearg

Chno Dearg is a Scottish mountain situated 25 km east of Fort William, Highland in the Lochaber area of the Highland council area.

Loch Errochty Loch in Perth and Kinross, Scotland

Loch Errochty is a man made freshwater loch situated within the Perth and Kinross council area at the edge of the Scottish Highlands near the Highland Boundary Fault where the topography changes to lowland.

Dunalastair Water

Dunalastair Water is an entirely man made reservoir in Scotland which lies between Loch Rannoch and Loch Tummel in Strath Tummel in Perth and Kinross council area. The loch provides water power for the Tummel hydroelectricity power station and has the reputation as one of the best wild trout fishing locations in the United Kingdom.

Flora and fauna of the Outer Hebrides

The flora and fauna of the Outer Hebrides in north west Scotland comprises a unique and diverse ecosystem. A long archipelago, set on the eastern shores of the Atlantic Ocean, it attracts a wide variety of seabirds, and thanks to the Gulf Stream a climate more mild than might be expected at this latitude. Because it is on the Gulf Stream, it also occasionally gets exotic visitors.

Coldingham Bay

Coldingham Bay is an inlet in the North Sea coast, just over three kilometres north of the town of Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is situated at grid reference NT918666 and is easily reached by a minor road which leaves the B6438 road at Coldingham.

An Ruadh-stac

An Ruadh-stac is a Scottish mountain situated in the Wester Ross region of the Highland council area. It is located 26 km north east of Kyle of Lochalsh.

Loch Ness Lake in Scotland, United Kingdom

Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately 37 kilometres southwest of Inverness. Its surface is 16 metres above sea level.

Duddingston Loch

Duddingston Loch is a lake, or freshwater loch, in Edinburgh where it is the last remaining natural loch within the city. It is situated to the south of Holyrood Park and lies southwest of the village of Duddingston.

Snipe Loch

Snipe Loch (NS385173) or Loch Snipe is a freshwater loch. It is situated in a low-lying area close to the B742 road next to Clocaird Farm in the Parish of Coylton, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The loch lies to the north of Martnaham Loch, 5 miles (7 km) east of Ayr.

Loch na Keal

Loch na Keal, meaning Loch of the Kyle, or Narrows, also Loch of the Cliffs, is the principal sea loch on the western, or Atlantic coastline of the island of Mull, in the Inner Hebrides, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Loch na Keal extends over 20 kilometres (12 mi) inland, almost bisecting Mull, and extending to within 5 km (3 mi) of the eastern shore. The loch gives its name to the Loch na Keal National Scenic Area, one of forty national scenic areas in Scotland.

References

  1. "Ordnance Survey Explorer Map" Sheet 346 Gives details of position and dimensions of loch.
  2. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Gives details of geology.
  3. "National Trust for Scotland leaflet on St. Abbs Head" Gives historical details.
  4. Information board at site, Gives details of history.
  5. www.xbordercurrents.com. Archived 1 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine Gives details of wildlife.
  6. "Information board at site" Gives details of plantation.
  7. Scottish Natural Heritage. Gives details of water life in loch.