List of lochs of Scotland facts for kids
Scotland is famous for its many beautiful lochs! A loch is a Scottish word for a lake or a long, narrow arm of the sea (like a fjord). You might have heard of the famous Loch Ness and its legendary monster!
There are over 31,000 freshwater lochs and smaller "lochans" (which means 'little lochs') in Scotland. More than 7,500 of these are in the Western Isles alone! Most of the bigger lochs are found in the Scottish Highlands. They often look long and narrow because they were carved out by huge glaciers (giant ice rivers) during the Ice Age.
The word "loch" comes from Scottish Gaelic, which is a language spoken in Scotland. It's similar to the Irish word lough. While "loch" is the most common name for these bodies of water, you might also find some called "water," especially in the northern islands. For example, there's Roer Water in Shetland and Heldale Water in Orkney. Interestingly, the Lake of Menteith is the only natural freshwater body in Scotland called a "lake"!
Scotland's Biggest Lochs
Scotland has some truly massive lochs! The table below shows the twelve largest lochs by how much water they hold (volume), their surface area, and how long they are.
Did you know that Loch Ness holds almost twice as much water as all the lakes in England and Wales put together? It's also incredibly deep!
Loch | Volume (km3) |
Area (km2) |
Length (km) |
Max. depth (m) |
Mean depth (m) |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loch Ness | 7.45 | 1.79 | 56 | 22 | 36.2 | 22.5 | 227 | 745 | 132 | 433 |
Loch Lomond | 2.6 | 0.62 | 71 | 27 | 36 | 22 | 190 | 620 | 37 | 121 |
Loch Morar | 2.3 | 0.55 | 26.7 | 10.3 | 18.8 | 11.7 | 310 | 1,020 | 87 | 285 |
Loch Tay | 1.6 | 0.38 | 26.4 | 10.2 | 23 | 14 | 150 | 490 | 60.6 | 199 |
Loch Awe | 1.2 | 0.29 | 39 | 15 | 41 | 25 | 94 | 308 | 32 | 105 |
Loch Maree | 1.09 | 0.26 | 28.6 | 11.0 | 20 | 12 | 114 | 374 | 38 | 125 |
Loch Ericht | 1.08 | 0.26 | 18.6 | 7.2 | 23 | 14 | 156 | 512 | 57.6 | 189 |
Loch Lochy | 1.07 | 0.26 | 16 | 6.2 | 16 | 9.9 | 162 | 531 | 70 | 230 |
Loch Rannoch | 0.97 | 0.23 | 19 | 7.3 | 15.7 | 9.8 | 134 | 440 | 51 | 167 |
Loch Shiel | 0.79 | 0.19 | 19.5 | 7.5 | 28 | 17 | 128 | 420 | 40 | 130 |
Loch Katrine | 0.77 | 0.18 | 12.4 | 4.8 | 12.9 | 8.0 | 151 | 495 | 43.4 | 142 |
Loch Arkaig | 0.75 | 0.18 | 16 | 6.2 | 19.3 | 12.0 | 109 | 358 | 46.5 | 153 |
Loch Shin | 0.35 | 0.084 | 22.5 | 8.7 | 27.8 | 17.3 | 49 | 161 | 15.5 | 51 |
The Loch of Stenness and the Loch of Harray in Mainland Orkney are not big enough to be on the list above. However, they are special because they connect to the sea during high tide. The Loch of Stenness is the largest brackish (a mix of fresh and salt water) lagoon in the UK!
Mainland Lochs
Many lochs on the Scottish mainland have been changed into reservoirs. This means their water levels are controlled by dams or walls to store water for people to use or to help make hydroelectricity (power from water). These lochs are marked with reservoir next to their names.
Here are some of the lochs you can find on the mainland:
A
- Loch A'an (also known as Loch Avon, in the Cairngorms)
- Loch of Aboyne (Aberdeenshire)
- Loch Achall (east of Ullapool)
- Loch Achonachie (Strathconon) (reservoir)
- Loch Achray (Stirling)
- Loch Affric (Glen Affric)
- Alemoor Loch (Scottish Borders) (reservoir)
- Loch Alvie (Speyside)
- Loch Ard (Stirling)
- Loch Arkaig (Lochaber)
- Loch Arklet (Stirlingshire) (reservoir)
- Loch Arthur (Dumfries and Galloway)
- Loch Ashie (northeast of Loch Ness)
- Loch Assynt (Sutherland)
- Loch Avich (Argyll and Bute)
- Loch Awe, Argyll and Bute
B
- Loch Bà (Rannoch Moor)
- Balgavies Loch (Angus)
- Banton Loch (North Lanarkshire)
- Bardowie Loch (East Dunbartonshire)
- Loch Beannacharain or Loch Beannachan, near Inverchoran
- Loch Benachally (Perth and Kinross) (reservoir)
- Bennan Loch (East Renfrewshire) (reservoir)
- Birnie Loch (nature reserve, Fife)
- Bishop Loch (near Coatbridge)
- Black Loch (Falkirk)
- Loch Brora (west of Brora, Sutherland)
- Loch Builg (Cairngorms)
- Loch of Butterstone (Perth and Kinross)
C
- Loch Calder (Caithness)
- Loch Callater (Braemar)
- Cam Loch (Argyll and Bute) (reservoir)
- Carlingwark Loch (Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway)
- Carsfad Loch (Dumfries and Galloway) (reservoir)
- Castle Semple Loch (Renfrewshire)
- Loch Chon (Stirlingshire)
- Loch Cluanie (reservoir)
- Loch of Clunie (Perth and Kinross)
- Clatteringshaws Loch (Galloway) (reservoir)
- Coldingham Loch (Scottish Borders)
- Loch Con (north of Loch Errochty)
- Loch Coulin (Coulin Forest, Wester Ross)
- Loch Crannach (Perth and Kinross) (reservoir)
- Loch Cuaich (east of Dalwhinnie)
D
- Loch an Daimh (Perth and Kinross) (reservoir)
- Loch Davan (northeast of Ballater, Aberdeenshire)
- Loch Dee (Galloway)
- Loch Dochfour (northeast end of Loch Ness)
- Loch Doon (Carrick, Scotland) (reservoir)
- Loch Droma (Wester Ross) (reservoir)
- Loch Druidibeag (South Uist)
- Loch Drunkie (Stirlingshire) (reservoir)
- Duddingston Loch (Edinburgh)
- Dunalastair Water (Perthshire) (reservoir)
- Loch Dungeon (Dumfries and Galloway) (reservoir)
- Dunsapie Loch (Edinburgh)
- Loch Duntelchaig (Inverness-shire)
E
- Loch Earn (Perth and Kinross/Stirlingshire)
- Earlstoun Loch (Dumfries and Galloway) (reservoir)
- Loch Eck (Argyll and Bute)
- Loch Eigheach (Perth and Kinross) (reservoir)
- Loch an Eilein (Rothiemurchus Forest, Highland)
- Loch Eilt (Lochaber)
- Loch Einich (Cairngorms)
- Loch Errochty (Perth and Kinross) (reservoir)
- Loch Ericht (Perth and Kinross) (reservoir)
- Loch Etchachan (Cairngorms)
- Loch Eye (Easter Ross)
F
- Loch Fannich (Wester Ross) (reservoir)
- Loch Faskally (Perth and Kinross) (reservoir)
- Loch Finlas (Ayrshire) (reservoir)
- Fionn Loch (Fisherfield Forest, Wester Ross)
- Loch Fitty (Fife)
- Loch of Forfar (Angus)
- Loch Freuchie (Perth and Kinross)
- Loch of Fyvie (Fyvie Castle grounds, Fyvie, Aberdeenshire)
G
- Gadloch (Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire)
- Loch Gamhna (Rothiemurchus Forest)
- Loch Garry (Inverness-shire) (reservoir)
- Loch Garten (Strathspey)
- Loch Garve (Easter Ross)
- Loch Gelly (Fife)
- Loch Glascarnoch (Wester Ross) (reservoir)
- Loch Glashan (Argyll and Bute) (reservoir)
- Loch Glass (Easter Ross) (reservoir)
- Gleann Loch (Argyll and Bute) (reservoir)
- Glenbuck Loch (Ayrshire)
- Loch Glow (Fife)
- Loch Grannoch (Dumfries and Galloway)
- Loch Gynack (near Kingussie, Speyside)
H
- Lochan Hakel (south of Tongue, Sutherland)
- Loch Hallan (outer Hebridies, Scotland)
- Loch Heilen (Caithness)
- Loch Hempriggs (Thrumster, Caithness)
- Hogganfield Loch (near Glasgow)
- Loch Hope (Sutherland)
- Loch Humphrey (Dumbarton) (reservoir)
I
- Loch Inchard (Sutherland)
- Loch Insh (Speyside)
- Loch Iubhair (Perth and Kinross)
K
- Loch Katrine (Stirlingshire) reservoir
- Loch Kemp (southeast of Loch Ness)
- Loch Ken (Dumfries and Galloway) (reservoir)
- Kilbirnie Loch (North Ayrshire)
- Kilconquhar Loch Fife
- Loch Killin (southeast of Loch Ness, Inverness-shire)
- Loch Kinord (Aberdeenshire)
- Loch of Kinnordy (Angus)
- Loch Knockie (southeast of Loch Ness)
L
- Loch Laggan (Badenoch) (reservoir in two parts)
- Loch Laidon (Rannoch Moor)
- Lanark Loch (Lanark, South Lanarkshire)
- Loch Lednock (Perth and Kinross) (reservoir)
- Loch Lee (Glen Esk)
- Loch Leven (site of Loch Leven Castle)
- Loch Libo (near Barrhead)
- Linlithgow Loch (Linlithgow, West Lothian)
- Loch of Lintrathen (Angus)
- Loch Lochy (Lochaber, Highland)
- Loch Lomond (West Dunbartonshire/Argyll and Bute/Stirling district)
- Loch of the Lowes (near Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross)
- Loch Loyal (Sutherland)
- Loch Loyne (Inverness-shire) (reservoir)
- Loch Lubnaig (Callander, Stirling)
- Loch Luichart (Wester Ross) (reservoir)
- Lussa Loch (Kintyre) (reservoir)
- Loch Lyon (Perth and Kinross) (reservoir)
M
- Loch Maberry (Ayrshire / Dumfries and Galloway)
- Loch Maree (Wester Ross, fourth largest by surface area)
- Martnaham Loch (Ayrshire)
- Loch Meig (Strathconon) (reservoir)
- Lake of Menteith (Stirlingshire)
- Loch Mhòr (Inverness-shire) (reservoir)
- Loch Migdale (near Bonar Bridge)
- Mill Loch (near Lochmaben, Dumfries and Galloway)
- Mire Loch (St. Abb's Head, Scottish Borders)
- Loch Monaghan (Perth and Kinross) (reservoir)
- Loch Monar (reservoir)
- Loch Morar, (Lochaber)
- Loch Morlich (Cairngorms)
- Morton Lochs, Fife
- Loch Moy (southeast of Inverness)
- Mugdock Loch (near Milngavie)
- Loch Muick (Aberdeenshire)
- Loch Mullardoch (reservoir)
N
- Loch Nant (Argyll and Bute) (reservoir)
- Loch Naver (Sutherland)
- Loch Ness, the second largest by surface area and largest by volume
- Loch Nell (southeast of Oban)
O
- Loch Oich (Great Glen) (level artificially raised)
- Loch Ordie (Perth and Kinross)
- Loch Ore, (Fife)
- Loch Ossian
P
- Loch of Park (east of Banchory, Aberdeenshire) (marsh)
- Loch Pattack (Badenoch)
- Portmore Loch (Scottish Borders)
- Possil Loch (near Glasgow)
- Loch Poulary (on River Garry)
Q
- Loch Quoich (reservoir)
R
- Loch Rannoch (Perth and Kinross)
- Rescobie Loch (Angus)
- Loch Riecawr (Ayrshire) (reservoir)
- Romach Loch (south of Forres)
- Loch Rusky (Stirlingshire)
- Loch Ruthven (southeast of Loch Ness, Inverness-shire)
S
- St. John's Loch (Dunnet, Caithness)
- St Margaret's Loch, artificial loch in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh
- St. Mary's Loch (Scottish Borders)
- Loch Saugh (Angus) (reservoir)
- Loch Scammadale (south of Oban)
- Loch Shiel, (Lochaber, Highland)
- Loch Shin, the seventh largest by surface area (reservoir)
- Lochan Shira (Argyll and Bute) (now a reservoir)
- Loch Sionascaig (Inverpolly, Wester Ross)
- Loch of Skene (Aberdeenshire)
- Loch Sloy (reservoir)
- Loch Spallander, (reservoir) (Ayrshire)
- Loch Spynie (north of Elgin)
- Loch of Strathbeg (Buchan)
- Strathclyde Loch (Motherwell)
T
- Tangy Loch (Kintyre)
- Loch Tarff (southeast of Loch Ness)
- Loch Tarsan A loch in Argyll, formed by flooding parts of Glen Lean and Glen Tarsan for hydroelectricity production
- Loch Tay, the sixth largest by surface area
- Loch Thom, early artificial reservoir
- Town Loch Dunfermline, Fife
- Loch Tralaig (Argyll and Bute)
- Loch Treig (reservoir)
- Loch Trool (Galloway)
- Loch Tulla, (Bridge of Orchy, Argyll and Bute)
- Loch Tummel (reservoir)
- Loch Turret (Perth and Kinross) (reservoir)
U
- Loch Urr (Dumfries and Galloway)
- Loch Ussie (near Dingwall)
V
- Loch Vaa (north of Aviemore)
- Loch Vaich (Strathvaich Forest, Wester Ross) (reservoir)
- Loch Valley Galloway
- Loch Venachar (reservoir)
- Loch Voil (near Balquidder, Stirlingshire)
W
- Loch Walton (Stirlingshire)
- Loch Watten (Caithness) loch famous for its trout
- White Loch (Dumfries and Galloway)
- Whitefield Loch (Dumfries and Galloway)
- Whittliemuir Midton Loch (near Paisley) (reservoir)
- Woodend Loch (Coatbridge)
Lochs on Islands
Scotland has many islands, and these islands also have lots of lochs! The Outer Hebrides (a group of islands off the west coast) have the most. Islands like North Uist, South Uist, and Lewis are covered in a maze of freshwater lochs. Harris has countless small lochans.
Larger Island Lochs
Here are some of the more important or larger lochs found on Scotland's islands. Their names often come from Scottish Gaelic or Old Norse.
Loch | Meaning of name | Island | OS Grid ref. | Area (ha) | Depth (m) | 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 | 110 | Located south of Rothesay. | ||
Loch Bà | Mull | NM569376 | 324 | 800 | 44 | 144 | ||
Loch Bì | South Uist | NF766438 | 10 | 33 | 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 | 600 | 5 | 16 | In Birsay parish. | |
Loch Carabhat | North Uist | NF846613 | 151 | 370 | 22.5 | 74 | North Uist's third largest loch. | |
Loch of Cliff | Unst | HP600117 | 104 | 260 | 6.5 | 21 | 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 | 126 | Located in the heart of the Black Cuillin mountains on Skye. | ||
Loch Druidibeag | South Uist | NF791374 | 500 | 1,200 | Part of the Loch Druidibeg National Nature Reserve on the west coast of South Uist. | |||
Loch Fad | Gaelic: Long loch | Bute | NS074616 | 71 | 180 | 11.5 | 38 | Stocked with Brown and Rainbow Trout the loch is an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). |
Loch Finlaggan | Loch of the white hollow | Islay | NR387679 | Eilean Mor was an important administration centre of the Lordship of the Isles long ago. | ||||
Loch Frisa | Mull | NM490480 | 430 | 1,100 | 62.5 | 205 | Mull's largest loch. | |
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 | 2,400 | 4 | 13 | Closely linked to the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage site. |
Loch Langavat | Gaelic/Norse: Long lake | Lewis | NB197205 | 906.5 | 2,240 | 30 | 98 | This loch is over 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) long. |
Loch Leathan | Gaelic: Broad Loch | Skye | NG500507 | This loch, which includes Loch Fada, is about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) long. | ||||
Loch Mealt | Skye | NG507656 | Located south of Ellishadder, on the eastern side of the Trotternish peninsula. | |||||
Muckle Water | Scots: Big lake | Rousay | HY393901 | One of the largest freshwater bodies in Orkney not on the Mainland. | ||||
Loch Olabhat | Benbecula | NF798509 | One of Benbecula's larger lochs, it contains many islands. | |||||
Loch Sgadabhagh | Norse: Possibly Loch of tax bay | North Uist | NF847685 | 453 | 1,120 | 15 | 49 | This loch has a very irregular and complex shape. |
Loch of Spiggie | Shetland | HU370165 | 86 | 210 | 12.5 | 41 | Part of an RSPB Nature reserve. | |
Loch of Stenness | Norse: Loch of the headland of the stone | Mainland Orkney | HY280126 | 647 | 1,600 | 5 | 16 | The largest brackish lagoon in the UK, the Stones of Stenness are on its shore. |
Loch Suaineabhal | Loch of Sweyn's Fell | Lewis | NB069297 | 226 | 560 | 66.7 | 219 | This loch is the most voluminous (holds the most water) on Lewis. It might be the deepest loch on any island in the British Isles. |
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 | 110 | 12 | 39 | West of Lerwick. |
Smaller Island Lochs
Some smaller lochs on islands include:
- Lismore: Loch Fiart, Kilcheran Loch, Loch Baile a' Ghobhainn
- Orkney: see List of lochs in Orkney
- Shetland:
- Mainland Shetland: Clickimin Loch
- Whalsay: Loch of Houll, Loch of Huxter, Loch of Isbister, Loch of Livister, Loch of Sandwick, Loch of Stanefield, Loch of Vats-houll, Nuckro Water, East Loch of Skaw, West Loch of Skaw

Historic Lochs
Some lochs that used to exist have now been drained or filled in. Here are a few examples:
- In Edinburgh –
- Gogarloch – now drained.
- Nor Loch — now filled in.
- The Meadows – used to be a loch called Burghloch.
- In Ayrshire –
- Fail Loch – drained in the late 1840s.
- Loch Brand – a small loch, drained in 1780. It was found to contain a crannog (an ancient artificial island).
- Loch Brown – mostly drained in the 19th century.
- Knockewart Loch – also known as Jargon Loch, now drained.
- Lochlea, South Ayrshire – a loch near Tarbolton that famously contained a Crannog. It was drained by the mid-19th century.
- Lochspouts – a small loch near Maybole, Ayrshire, with a crannog. It was turned into a reservoir and then drained in 2003.
See also
- List of freshwater islands in Scotland
- List of sea lochs of Scotland
- List of lochs in Orkney
- List of Irish lochs and loughs
- List of rivers in Scotland
- Waterfalls of Scotland
- List of lakes and lochs in the United Kingdom
- List of reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom
- Map of Lochs of Scotland compiled from this list
- List of places in Scotland