Scotland is home to more than thirty thousand lochs, large and small. Located mainly in the northern and western Highlands, they are some of the country’s most scenic attractions. The lochs are vital culturally, environmentally and economically. They are part of Scottish mystery and folklore. Whether for sport, leisure, wildlife, history or legend, no trip to Scotland is complete without a visit to a loch.

Scottish Gaelic

The word ‘loch’ is the Scottish Gaelic word for a body of water completely or mostly surrounded by land. The word originates from the Old Irish ‘loch’, meaning ‘lake’. Scottish lochs can either be freshwater (lakes) or saltwater (tidal inlets of the sea, known as ‘sea lochs’ in Scotland or ‘fjords’ elsewhere.) Many were formed when the glaciers retreated at the end of the last ice age around ten thousand years ago. A small loch is called a ‘lochan’. 

Salt water

There are eighty sea lochs in Scotland. Among the most dramatic are Loch Etive near Oban, and the isolated Loch Eriboll near Durness. Further south, Loch Long is appropriately named, as it is thirty-two kilometres long. These lochs are home to salmon, trout, otters, seals and rare birds. The clear water of sea lochs is ideal for marine life normally only found in deep sea conditions. Sea lochs connect Scotland with its long history as a seafaring and fishing nation. 

Settlement

Lochs have been an important part of Scottish history for many centuries, providing water resources, transport routes and sites for settlement. The ruins of castles located on and around lochs tell their own stories, and lochs today are important tourist sites in their own right Loch Ness, Loch Lomond and Loch Tay bring millions of visitors to Scotland from around the world.

Power to the people

Scotland’s lochs aren’t just beautiful to look at, they are also a vital source of drinking water, and provide a renewable energy supply for the nation. Scotland provides 85 per cent of the UK’s hydroelectric energy. The first complete hydroelectric plant was built in 1934 along with the Laggan Dam at the western end of Loch Moy near Roybridge.

Whisky galore

Large quantities of pure, clear loch water are used for a product that lies at the heart of Scotland’s economy and culture: whisky. Water is used throughout the whisky-making process and distilleries often use loch water to add a unique flavour to the profile of the end product. The quality and characteristics of the water is crucial to the final taste of the whisky. Every Scottish loch has its own identity.  

Scottish Loch
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