Creoch Loch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Creoch Loch
Creoch Loch and the railway from the main road
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Location	New Cumnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland
Type	Freshwater loch
Primary inflows	A burn from the Black Loch, Rainfall and runoff
Primary outflows	To the Loch o' th' Lowes
Basin countries	Scotland
Max. length	600 m (2,000 ft)
Max. width	250 m (820 ft)
Islands	One islet (19th century)
Settlements	New Cumnock

Creoch Loch is a beautiful freshwater loch (that's a Scottish word for lake!) located in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It sits between the towns of Cumnock and New Cumnock. This loch formed in a special type of hollow called a glacial kettle hole, which is created when melting ice blocks leave depressions in the ground. Creoch Loch is actually one of three lochs connected in this area.

Discovering Creoch Loch

Creoch Loch is about 600 metres (or 0.37 miles) long. It's known to be connected to two other lochs, the Black Loch and the Loch o' th' Lowes. Sometimes, when there's a lot of rain, these three lochs can even join up and look like one big body of water!

The name 'Creoch' comes from a nearby farm, which got its name from the Gaelic word crioch. This word means 'boundary', which is pretty cool!

How the Lochs are Connected

A long time ago, a deep and wide ditch was dug to connect Creoch Loch, the Black Loch, and the Loch o' th' Lowes. This ditch is called the 'Runner'. It helps the water flow between them.

The Lowes Burn, which is a small stream, was also changed. It was made into a canal and moved away from the loch.

Old Maps and What They Showed

Old maps help us learn about how Creoch Loch looked in the past.

• A map from 1654 showed a single loch called 'Loch of the Lowis'. It also showed a 'Black Loch' area at the northern end.
• This map also pointed out two homes named 'Krioch', an Over and a North Krioch.
• Later maps, like one from 1747, showed the loch near a place called Little Creoch.
• An 1897 map didn't show any small islands in the loch or a boathouse. It did show a path with stepping stones over the 'Runner' ditch, which led to the Loch o' th' Lowes.

Fun Uses of the Loch

Creoch Loch has been used for fun activities over the years!

Curling on the Ice

In the past, when the loch froze over in winter, people would play curling matches on the ice. Records show matches happening in 1829 and 1861, with teams from Auchinleck playing against Cumnock. These matches were often held around Christmas or New Year's Day.

An old map from 1857 even shows a boathouse near the northern end of the loch. This was close to where water flows in from the Black Loch.

Interesting Stories About the Loch

Creoch Loch has some neat local stories connected to it.

A Big Idea for Water Power

Once, a very important person called the Earl of Dumfries had a big plan. He wanted to dig a channel from the River Nith through the Loch o' th' Lowes and Creoch Loch all the way to the Black Loch. His idea was to use this water to power a factory he wanted to build.

If his plan had worked, some of the water from the River Nith would have flowed into the River Clyde instead of the Solway Firth. But the factory was never built, so the water still flows the way it always has!

The Amazing Trout Journey

Imagine a fish, like a trout, going on an incredible journey! People used to imagine a trout swimming up the River Ayr, then into the Lugar Water. From there, it could enter the Black Loch through the Glaisnock Water.

Then, this adventurous trout could swim from the Black Loch into Creoch Loch, and then into the Loch o' th' Lowes. Finally, it would reach the River Nith and end up in the Solway Firth. That's a journey of about seventy miles!

The Railway Line

An 1864 map shows a railway line cutting right between the Black Loch and Creoch Loch. This railway ran from the east side of Creoch Loch to its western shore.

Images for kids

• 

  Creoch Loch from near Mid Lowes Farm.