Loch of Aboyne

Last updated

Loch of Aboyne
Aboyne loch
Loch of Aboyne - geograph.org.uk - 91266.jpg
Aberdeenshire UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Loch of Aboyne
Location Grampian, Scotland
Coordinates 57°05′15″N2°46′01″W / 57.0874°N 2.767°W / 57.0874; -2.767
Type artificial formed freshwater loch
Basin  countriesScotland
Surface area12.2 ha (30 acres) [1]
Average depth1.8 m (6 ft) [2]
Max. depth3.4 m (11 ft) [2]
Water volume280,000 m3 (10,000,000 cu ft) [2]
Shore length12.2 km (1.4 mi) [1]
Surface elevation136 m (446 ft) [1]
Islands 0 [1]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Loch of Aboyne is a shallow, artificial formed, freshwater loch in Grampian, Scotland. It lies 1+14 miles (2 km) northeast of Aboyne and 28 miles (45 km) west-southwest of Aberdeen. An earthen dam was constructed around 1834 to retain the loch. It also served as a reservoir for a nearby mill. [3]

Contents

Survey

The loch was surveyed [2] on 13 July 1905 by T.N. Johnston and L.W. Collett and later charted [4] as part of the Sir John Murray's Bathymetrical Survey of Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland 1897-1909.

Flora and fauna

The loch was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1984 owing to its aquatic flora and fauna and rich reedbed and fen vegetation. It has one of the finest submerged floras in the area with 8 species of pondweeds. There is a high diversity of leeches and pond snails and modest numbers of passage and wintering wildfowl including wigeon, goosander and whooper swans. [5] It provides a valuable habitat for waterfowl and other birds, with Osprey regularly seen plucking fish from the water. It is also an important site for butterflies. [3]

Leisure and recreation

Aberdeen Waterski and Wakeboard Club uses the loch for its activities [6] and the club was also responsible for repairing the dam in the late 1980s. In winter, when ice forms on the loch, it is used for curling. [3] A bonspiel was held here in 1891 and the Aboyne Curling Club had its own private railway station named Aboyne Curling Pond railway station, the remains of which can still be seen.

Fishing is available by permit and the existing stock of perch, pike and eels was supplemented in 2002 and 2003 with common roach, bream, ide and carp. [7] On the north shore of the loch is the Aboyne Golf Club and course. [8] The Aboyne Loch Caravan Park lies on a peninsula which extends into the loch, and The Lodge on the Loch health spa is located on the north shore.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch of Skene</span> Freshwater artificial loch in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Loch of Skene is a large lowland, freshwater loch in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It lies approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) to the west of the village of Kirkton of Skene and 9 mi (14 km) west of Aberdeen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Laggan</span> Freshwater loch in Highland, Scotland

Loch Laggan is a freshwater loch situated approximately 6+12 mi (10.5 km) west of Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands. The loch has an irregular shape, runs nearly northeast to southwest and is approximately 7 mi (11 km) in length. It has an average depth of 68 ft (21 m) and is 174 ft (53 m) at its deepest. The eastern end of the loch features the largest freshwater beach in Britain. Since 1934 Loch Laggan has been part of the Lochaber hydro-electric scheme. At the northeast end of the loch is the hamlet of Kinloch Laggan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Trool</span> A lake in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland

Loch Trool is a narrow, freshwater loch in Galloway, in the Southern Uplands in south-west Scotland. It lies in an elevated position in Glen Trool in the Galloway Forest Park and is approximately 8 miles (13 km) north of the town of Newton Stewart. The loch is the source of the Water of Trool which flows to the Water of Minnoch and the River Cree. There is a walking trail and footpath around the loch's perimeter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Muick</span> Freshwater loch in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Loch Muick is an upland, freshwater loch lying approximately 5 mi (8.0 km) south of Braemar, Scotland at the head of Glen Muick and within the boundary of the Balmoral estate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Kinord</span> A lake in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Loch Kinord is a small, freshwater loch at Muir of Dinnet, Aberdeenshire, Scotland just north of the River Dee and 5 mi (8 km) east of Ballater. The loch is also known as Loch Ceander and Loch Cannor. It is approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) in length and was formed from a glacial kettle hole. The loch sits within the Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve and is immediately south of Loch Davan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Veyatie</span> Freshwater loch

Loch Veyatie is a large freshwater loch in north-west Scotland. It stretches for 6 km north-westwards from the settlement of Elphin, and lies between Suilven and Cùl Mòr. The loch is located in an area known as the Assynt-Coigach National Scenic Area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Gelly</span> Small lake in Fife, Scotland

Loch Gelly is a small loch in Fife, Scotland lying approximately 1.5 km to the south east of the town of Lochgelly which itself is named after the loch. The Gaelic name of the loch, Loch Gheallaidh, can be loosely translated as Loch of Shining Waters or Loch of Brightness. It is a broad, shallow flat bottomed basin approximately 1.75 km in length from west to east and 0.75 km wide at its maximum breadth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch of Boardhouse</span> Freshwater loch in Scotland

The Loch of Boardhouse is a freshwater loch in the parish of Birsay in the north west of the mainland of Orkney, Scotland. It acts as a reservoir for public water supply and is popular for trout fishing. Nearby are the Loch of Hundland and the Loch of Swannay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muckle Water</span> Loch on Rousay Island, Orkney, Scotland

Muckle Water is a long, narrow fresh water loch on Ward Hill on Rousay, Orkney, Scotland. It is the biggest loch on the island and is popular for fishing. It can be reached by a track from the roadside. The Suso Burn on the north eastern shore drains the loch into the Sound of Rousay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch of Swannay</span> Freshwater loch in Scotland

The Loch of Swannay is the most northerly loch on the mainland of Orkney and lies within the parish of Birsay in the north west of the island. It is an elliptically shaped, freshwater loch and is close to the lochs of Hundland and Boardhouse. The grassland at the shore of the loch is the main feeding area for a wintering flock of rare Greenland white-fronted geese and the rare flat-stalked pondweed is found in the waters. Many varieties of birds use and nest in the loch including mute swans, skylarks, meadow pipits, twites, gulls and sedge warblers. It is also popular for trout fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Bad an Sgalaig</span> Freshwater loch and reservoir in Wester Ross, Scotland

Loch Bad an Sgalaig is a small, irregular shaped, freshwater loch and reservoir lying 5 mi (8.0 km) south of the small village of Poolewe, in Wester Ross, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Callater</span> Freshwater loch in Braemar, Scotland

Loch Callater is an upland, freshwater loch lying approximately 5 miles (8 km) south of Braemar, Scotland. The loch trends in a northwest to southeast direction and is surrounded on both sides by steep hills. It is approximately 1.6 km (1 mi) in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Davan</span> Freshwater loch in Grampian, Scotland

Loch Davan is a small, triangular, freshwater loch approximately 5 mi (8.0 km) northeast of Ballater, Scotland and lying immediately north of Loch Kinord. It is approximately 0.75 mi (1.21 km) in length and was formed from a glacial kettle hole. The loch sits within the Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch of Tankerness</span> Freshwater loch in Mainland Orkney, Scotland

Loch of Tankerness is a large, lowland, freshwater loch on the Orkney mainland in Scotland. The loch is roughly triangular in shape and is shallow with a flat bottom that gradually deepens from west to east. It lies approximately 4 mi (6.4 km) southeast of Kirkwall.

Loch Fithie is a small, lowland freshwater loch lying approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Forfar, Scotland. It is approximately 800 m (2,600 ft) in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Avich</span> Freshwater loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland

Loch of Avich is a large freshwater loch that lies approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) west of Loch Awe in Argyll and Bute in Scotland. It is the second biggest loch in the Etive basin after Loch Awe. It trends east-northeast, west-southwest and is narrowly triangular in shape. At the southwest end of the loch is the islet Innis Luana on which stands the ruins of an ancient castle named Caisteal na Nighinn Ruaidhe. The castle may have been the original seat of Clan Campbell. Near the north shore on the islet of Eilean Fraoch is the remains of a crannog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Stack</span> Freshwater loch in Sutherland, Scotland

Loch Stack is a large, irregularly shaped freshwater loch in the Northwest of Scotland. It lies approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Laxford Bridge and is surrounded by mountains. Ben Stack rises steeply from the loch's southwestern shore and Arkle lies directly to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Loch</span> Lake in southern Scotland

Castle Loch is a shallow eutrophic loch covering an area of around 100 hectares in the town of Lochmaben in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It lies to the west of Mochrum Loch and has 2 islets. The ruined Lochmaben Castle lies at the southern end of the loch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch of Lintrathen</span> Loch in Angus, Scotland

Loch of Lintrathen is a man-made loch occupying a glacial basin at the southern end of Glen Isla, approximately 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) west of town of Kirriemuir in Angus, Scotland.

Pond of Drummond is a small shallow freshwater artificial loch in the grounds of Drummond Castle, and is orientated on an east to west orientation, being located 2 miles southeast of Crieff in Perth and Kinross.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Loch of Aboyne". British lakes. British Lakes. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Bathymetrical Survey of the Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland, 1897-1909, Lochs of the Dee (Aberdeen) Basin". National Library of Scotland . Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Overview of Aboyne, Loch of". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  4. "Loch of Skene; Loch Callater; Loch of Aboyne (Vol. 5, Plate 52) - Bathymetrical Survey, 1897-1909 - National Library of Scotland". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  5. "Loch of Aboyne - Citation document". Registers of Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  6. "Aberdeen Waterski and Wakeboard Club". Aberdeen Waterski and Wakeboard Club. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  7. "Aboyne Loch". Fisharound. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  8. "Aboyne Golf Club". Aboyne Golf Club. Retrieved 2 January 2015.

See also