Loch facts for kids
A loch is a special word used in Scottish Gaelic, Irish, and Scots for a lake or a narrow arm of the sea (a sea inlet). It's similar to words like "lough" in Manx and "llyn" in Welsh, all coming from old languages.
In English English and Hiberno-English (English spoken in Ireland), you might see the spelling "lough" in place names. But in Scots and Scottish English, the spelling "loch" is always used.
Some lochs are also known by other names like firths, fjords, estuaries, straits, or bays. Sea lochs are often called sea lochs or sea loughs. Many lochs have old stories connected to them, sometimes about how they mysteriously appeared.
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What is a Loch?
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The word "loch" comes from ancient Celtic languages. It's used for most lakes in Scotland and for many sea inlets along the west and north coasts of Scotland. The word itself has roots in even older European languages, similar to the Latin word lacus, which also means lake.
In Scotland, the "ch" sound in "loch" is pronounced like the "ch" in the Scottish word "bricht" (meaning bright), or like the "ch" in the German word "Bach." This sound is different from how most English speakers say "lock." This difference can sometimes help identify if someone is from Scotland!
A very small loch is often called a lochan. This is like saying "little loch."
Famous Lochs
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Perhaps the most famous Scottish loch is Loch Ness, known for its legendary monster! But there are many other large and beautiful lochs in Scotland. Some well-known examples include Loch Awe, Loch Lomond, and Loch Tay.
Scotland also has many important sea lochs. These are arms of the sea that reach inland. Examples include Loch Long, Loch Fyne, Loch Linnhe, and Loch Eriboll. These sea lochs are often deep and surrounded by stunning scenery.
How Lochs are Used
Many lochs are natural, but some have been changed or created by people. For example, some lochs are used as reservoirs to store water for hydroelectric power schemes. This means they help create electricity using the power of moving water. The Loch Sloy scheme and the Lochaber hydroelectric scheme use lochs like Loch Laggan and Loch Treig for this purpose.
Lakes in Scotland
It might seem strange, but Scotland has very few bodies of water actually called "lakes." Most are called "lochs." The most famous exception is the Lake of Menteith. This name came about because the old Scots word laich (meaning "low-lying land") sounded similar to "lake." For a long time, it was known as the Loch of Menteith.
Other bodies of water in Scotland that are called "lakes" are usually man-made, like the Lake of the Hirsel, Pressmennan Lake, and Lake Louise.
Lochs Around the World
Since "loch" is a common Gaelic word, you can find it in place names far beyond Scotland and Ireland.
For example, in the United States, the naval port of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii has several sea inlets named as lochs, such as South East Loch and West Loch. There's also Loch Raven Reservoir in Maryland.
In the Falkland Islands, you can find Brenton Loch, which is a sea loch.
Even in Canada, Scottish settlers named places after their homeland. In Glengarry County, Ontario, there's a lake called Loch Garry, named after Loch Garry in Scotland. You can also find names like Loch Broom and Loch Lomond in Nova Scotia, and Loch Leven in Newfoundland and Saskatchewan.
See also
In Spanish: Loch para niños
