Loch Sloy (reservoir)
| Loch Sloy | |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic Loch Slòigh | |
Interactive map of Loch Sloy | |
| Location | Arrochar Alps, Southern Scottish Highlands |
| Coordinates | 56°16′12″N 4°46′30″W / 56.270°N 4.775°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Etymology | Loch of the host |
| Streams | |
| Basin countries | United Kingdom (Scotland) |
Managing agency | SSE plc |
| Max. length | 3 km (1.9 mi) |
| Max. width | 0.45 km (0.28 mi) |
Surface area | 1.26 km2 (0.49 sq mi) |
Average depth | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Max. depth | 9.6 m (31 ft) |
Shore length1 | 7 km (4.3 mi) |
Surface elevation | 287 m (942 ft) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Loch Sloy (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Slòigh) is a freshwater loch in the southern Highlands of Scotland located in the Argyll and Bute council area. It is notable for being a part of a large hydroelectric scheme called the Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Scheme.[1]
History
Clan MacFarlane, a Scottish Clan, has a close history with the loch, holding land around the loch from 1225 to 1784 and for a significant amount of time there was a clachan due to the clans presence there. The slogan and warcry of the clan is Loch Sloy due to its importance in its history.[2]
In 1945 the Loch became site of a large construction project as part of the Loch Sloy Hydro-electric scheme by the North of Scotland Hydro Electricity Board. A large amount of the construction was done by German prisoners of war.[3] The hydroelectric building and dam opened in 1950 which has since been designated by Historic Scotland as A and B listed respectively.[4]
Geography
On the west side of the loch sits Ben Vane and on its east is Ben Vorlich both of which are Munros. A few miles west is the large Loch Lomond. A private road which walkers often use connects it to the nearby A85 and settlement of Inveruglas.[5]
Fauna
The reservoir provides a safeguard population of Powan a freshwater fish thats native population within Scotland is confined to nearby Loch Lomond and Loch Eck and the Carron Valley Reservoir.[6] Along with this the common Snipe can often be seen near the loch.[7]
References
- ↑ "Sloy/Awe hydro scheme | SSE Renewables". www.sserenewables.com. Archived from the original on 2026-02-07. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- ↑ "Arrochar, Tarbet and Ardlui Heritage". www.arrocharheritage.com. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- ↑ "BBC One - Making Scotland's Landscape, Scotland's Water, Loch Sloy". BBC. 2010-11-11. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- ↑ Jamie.Billington@mandogroup.com (2026-06-24). "Sloy Power Station Transformer Replacement Project". SSEN Transmission. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- ↑ "OpenStreetMap". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- ↑ "Vendace and powan | NatureScot". www.nature.scot. 2023-09-11. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- ↑ "UK Lakes Portal". uklakes.ceh.ac.uk. Retrieved 2026-07-03.