Loch Eck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Loch Eck |
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A view of the loch, looking south.
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 Loch Eck
Location in Argyll and Bute
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| Location | Argyll and Bute, Scotland. |
| Coordinates | 56°04′46″N 4°59′40″W / 56.079508°N 4.9944191°W National |
| Type | Freshwater Loch and Reservoir. |
| Native name | Loch Eich Error {{native name checker}}: parameter value is malformed (help) |
| Primary inflows | Cur |
| Primary outflows | River Eachaig |
| Catchment area | Cowal. |
| Basin countries | Scotland, United Kingdom. |
| Surface area | 4,259,000 m2 (45,840,000 sq ft) |
| Max. depth | 43 m (141 ft) |
| Water volume | 67,400,000 m3 (2.38×109 cu ft) |
| Surface elevation | 24 m (79 ft) |
Loch Eck (Gaelic: Loch Eich) is a freshwater loch located on the Cowal peninsula, north of Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is seven miles (11 kilometres) long. Along with Loch Lomond, it is the only naturally occurring habitat of the Powan (fish). The loch also has salmon, sea trout, brown trout and arctic charr.
Loch Eck is within the Argyll Forest Park which, is itself part of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. It is close to the Benmore Botanic Garden and the Benmore Outdoor Centre, which uses the loch and its surrounding for outdoor learning.
A pathway runs along the west side of the loch, and gives access to the Paper Caves, set in the steep hillside with caving access to a platform set above a steep scarp within the cave. A legend holds that the Argyll family documents were hidden in the caves when the 9th Earl of Argyll was arrested, to prevent his lands from being made forfeit.
The loch is also an impounding reservoir with a water treatment works, that were upgraded in 2012 by Scottish Water, which supplies the freshwater to much of the southeast of Cowal, including Dunoon.
In July 2013, two dogs died due to algal bloom present in the loch. Warnings were then posted advising that people and animals should avoid contact with the water. A similar incident occurred again in June 2019.
