List of Lochs in Scotland - Lochs On Islands

Lochs On Islands

There are a very large number of lochs on the islands of Scotland, with the greatest density occurring in the Outer Hebrides. North and South Uist and Lewis in particular have landscapes with a high percentage of freshwater and a maze and complexity of loch shapes. Harris has fewer large bodies of water but innumerable small lochans. Those listed here are confined to the larger or otherwise notable lochs.

Loch Orasaigh in Lewis is only about 125 hectares (310 acres) in extent but the island of Rainish Eilean Mòr is probably the largest island in Scotland relative to the size of the body of water it sits in, as it takes up about 20% of the loch's surface area.

The meanings of the names are generally derived from Gaelic, Old Norse or Scots.

Loch Meaning of name Island OS Grid ref. Area (in hectares) Depth (in metres) Notes
Loch a' Phuill Gaelic: Loch of the bog or pool Tiree NL955415 Located in the south west near Balephuil.
Loch Ascog Norse: Loch of ash bay Bute NS094626 44.7 Located south of Rothesay.
Loch Bà Mull NM569376 324 !324 44
Loch Barabhat Great Bernera NB156353
Loch Bì South Uist NF766438 <10 South Uist's largest loch is in the north of the island and at 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) long it all but cuts the island in two.
Loch of Boardhouse Mainland Orkney HY268264 244 !244 5 In Birsay parish
Loch Carabhat Grimsay NF857566
Loch Carabhat North Uist NF846613 151 22.5 North Uist's third largest loch
Loch of Cliff Unst HP600117 104 6.5 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) long and the most northerly loch in Britain.
Loch Coruisk Gaelic: Loch of the corrie of water Skye NG482206 38.4 Located in the heart of the Black Cuillin mountains on Skye.
Loch Druidibeag South Uist NF791374 500 !c.500 Part of the Loch Druidibeg National Nature Reserve on the west coast of South Uist.
Loch Fad Gaelic: Long loch Bute NS074616 71 11.5 Stocked with Brown and Rainbow Trout the loch is an SSSI.
Loch Fada Colonsay NR385955 Colonsay's largest loch
Loch Fada Gobha Lewis NB245232 125 !c.125 14 This loch, which lies between Lochs Treabhal and Langavat, is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) long.
Loch Finlaggan Loch of the white hollow Islay NR387679 Eilean Mor was an administration centre of the Lordship of the Isles during the 13th—15th centuries. The English name is derived from Gaelic, but the Gaelic name itself is Port an Eilein and means "island port".
Loch Frisa Mull NM490480 430 62.5 Mull's largest loch
Loch of Girlsta Mainland Shetland HU433519 20
Loch Gorm Blue loch Islay NR229657 Contains Loch Gorm Castle, once a stronghold of Clan Macdonald.
Loch of Harray Norse: Loch of the mound Mainland Orkney HY295151 971 4 Closely linked to the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage site.
Heldale Water Hoy ND259924 One of the largest bodies of freshwater in Orkney not on the Mainland
Loch Langavat Gaelic/Norse: Long lake Lewis NB197205 906.5 30 This loch lies at 33 metres (108 ft) above sea level, is over 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) long and is at the head of the Grimersta system.
Loch Langavat Gaelic/Norse: Long lake Harris NG044897
Loch Leathan Skye NG500507 This loch to the east of Portree, which includes Loch Fada, is about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) long.
Loch Mòr Gaelic: Big loch Boreray NF850813 A shallow loch that make up about an eighth of the area of the island
Muckle Water Scots: Big lake Rousay HY393901 One of the largest bodies of freshwater in Orkney not on the Mainland
Loch nan Cinneachan Gaelic: Loch of the "heathen" or "gentiles". Coll NM187562 Contains the crannog Dùn Anlaimh
Loch Olabhat Benbecula NF798509 One of Benbecula's larger lochs, it contains numerous islands.
Loch Orasaigh Gaelic: Tidal island loch? Lewis NB388281 Contains Rainish Eilean Mòr (see above).
Loch Righ Mòr Gaelic: Great loch of the king Jura NR540852
Loch Sgadabhagh Norse: Possibly Loch of tax bay North Uist NF847685 453 15 According to Murray and Pullar (1910) "there is probably no other loch in Britain which approaches Loch Scadavay in irregularity and complexity of outline."
Loch an Sgoltaire Colonsay NR386972
Loch Spiggie Shetland HU370165 86 12.5 Part of an RSPB Nature reserve, the surface is only just over a metre above sea level.
Loch of Stenness Norse: Loch of the headland of the stone Mainland Orkney HY280126 647 5 The largest brackish lagoon in the UK, the Stones of Stenness are on the south east shore.
Loch of St Tredwell Loch of St Tredwell Papa Westray HY492508 <10 Named after St Triduana, the loch's waters were traditionally believed to be medicinal.
Loch Suaineabhal Lewis NB069297 226 !c.226 66.7 This glaciated loch basin has a mean depth of 33 metres (108 ft) and is the most voluminous in Lewis.
Loch of Swannay Orkney HY309283 244 5 Located in the north west of Mainland Orkney there are numerous stony shoals in the loch.
Loch of Tankerness Norse: Possibly Loch of Tannskári's point. Mainland Orkney HY514092 60 2 North east of Kirkwall, the loch's mean depth is only 1.4 metres (4.6 ft).
Loch Tanna Arran NR921430 Arran's largest loch is 321 metres above sea level.
Loch of Tingwall Norse: Loch of the field of the parliament Mainland Shetland HU416425 43 12 West of Lerwick
Loch Trealabhal Lewis NB277236 157 10.5 Another shallow Hebridean loch with a complex shape.
Loch of Watlee Norse: Unst HP592054

Read more about this topic:  List Of Lochs In Scotland

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