Loch Lyon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Loch Lyon |
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Loch Lyon from An Grianan. Beyond the loch the highest hill is Beinn Dorain.
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 Loch Lyon
Location in Perth and Kinross
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| Location | Glen Lyon, Perth |
| Coordinates | 56°32′27″N 4°34′05″W / 56.540800°N 4.568°W |
| Type | freshwater loch, reservoir |
| Primary outflows | River Lyon |
| Basin countries | Scotland |
| Max. length | 2.81 km (1.75 mi) |
| Max. width | 0.40 km (0.25 mi) |
| Surface area | 492.3 ha (1,216 acres) |
| Average depth | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
| Max. depth | 100 ft (30 m) |
| Shore length1 | 21.2 km (13.2 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 344 m (1,129 ft) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Loch Lyon is a beautiful freshwater loch (which is the Scottish word for a lake) located in Glen Lyon in Perthshire, Scotland. It's a very important loch because it feeds the River Lyon. This river then flows into the larger River Tay.
Glen Lyon is a very special place. It is the longest enclosed glen (a narrow valley) in all of Scotland. It stretches for over 30 miles, from a village called Fortingall in the east all the way to Loch Lyon in the west. A famous writer named Sir Walter Scott once described Glen Lyon as the longest, loneliest and loveliest glen in Scotland.
Loch Lyon as a Reservoir
Loch Lyon wasn't always as big as it is today. Originally, it was a natural loch. However, it was made much larger by building a special dam. This dam helped turn the loch into a reservoir.
A reservoir is like a giant storage tank for water. The water from Loch Lyon is used to create hydro-electric power. This means electricity is made using the force of moving water. The dam at Loch Lyon is part of a bigger plan called the Breadalbane Hydro-Electric Scheme. This scheme helps provide clean energy to homes and businesses.
