Loch Eck

Loch Eck; (Gaelic: Loch Eich) is a freshwater loch located on the Cowal peninsula, north of Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is seven miles (11 kilometres) long. Apart from Loch Lomond, it is the only naturally occurring habitat of the Powan (fish).[2][3] Besides powan, the loch also has salmon, sea trout, brown trout and arctic charr.[4]

Loch Eck
A view of the loch, looking south.
LocationArgyll and Bute, Scotland.p
Coordinates56.079508°N 4.9944191°W / 56.079508; -4.9944191
National grid reference NS 13753 91453
TypeFreshwater Loch and Reservoir.
Native nameLoch Eich  (Scottish Gaelic)
Primary inflowsCur
Primary outflowsRiver Eachaig
Catchment areaCowal.
Basin countriesScotland, United Kingdom.
Surface area4,259,000 m2 (45,840,000 sq ft)
Max. depth43 m (141 ft)
Water volume67,400,000 m3 (2.38×109 cu ft)
Surface elevation24 m (79 ft)
References[1]

Loch Eck is within the Argyll Forest Park which, is itself part of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.[5][6] It is close to the Benmore Botanic Garden and the Benmore Outdoor Centre, which uses the loch and its surrounding for outdoor learning.[7]

A pathway runs along the west side of the loch, and gives access to the Paper Caves, set in the steep hillside with caving access to a platform set above a steep scarp within the cave.[8] A legend holds that the Argyll family documents were hidden in the caves when the 9th Earl of Argyll was arrested, to prevent his lands from being made forfeit.[7]

The loch is also an impounding reservoir with a a water treatment works, that were upgraded in 2012 by Scottish Water, which supplies the freshwater to much of the southeast of Cowal, including Dunoon.[9]

In July 2013, two dogs died due to algal bloom present in the loch. Warnings were then posted advising that people and animals should avoid contact with the water.[10][11] A similar incident occurred again in June 2019.[12]

See also
  • List of reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom

References
  1. Murray, Sir John; Pullar, Laurence (1910). Bathymetrical Survey of the Scottish Fresh Water Lochs. Edinburgh.
  2. Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008) Coregonus clupeoides. In:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. (Accessed 17 April 2010)
  3. "Vendace / powan - Scottish Natural Heritage". Snh.gov.uk. 2015-11-26. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  4. "Loch Eck | Fishing | Argyll & the Isles | Welcome to Scotland". www.welcometoscotland.com. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  5. "Argyll Forest Park - Forestry Commission Scotland". Scotland.forestry.gov.uk. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
  6. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2017-01-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Of Interest: Things to look out for". Benmore Centre for Outdoor Learning, Dunoon Argyll, Scotland, UK. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  8. "Loch Eck, Paper Caves". Canmore. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  9. "Clearer, fresher drinking water for 20,000 people in Cowal". Scottish Water. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  10. "Loch Eck water warning issued as two dogs die suddenly after swimming | Glasgow & West | News | STV".
  11. "Argyll, Cowal and Dunoon News | Dunoon Observer and Argyllshire Standard". www.dunoon-observer.com.
  12. "Tragically, a young dog died this..." Bute & Cowal Vets. 2019-08-25 – via Facebook.

Sources
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