St Mary's Loch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Loch |
|
|---|---|
1845 engraving by William Miller after P. Paton
|
|
 St Mary's Loch
Location in Scottish Borders
|
|
| Location | Borders |
| Coordinates | 55°29′40″N 3°11′10″W / 55.49444°N 3.18611°W |
| Type | freshwater loch |
| Basin countries | Scotland |
| Max. length | 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) |
| Max. width | 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) |
St Mary's Loch is the biggest natural loch (which means lake) in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is found about 72 kilometers south of Edinburgh. You can see it from the A708 road, which runs between the towns of Selkirk and Moffat.
Contents
About St Mary's Loch
St Mary's Loch is quite large, stretching about 5 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide. It was formed a very long time ago during the last ice age. Huge sheets of ice moved across the land, carving out the valley where the loch now sits.
Water flows into the loch from the Megget Water, which comes from the nearby Megget Reservoir. The loch is also the starting point for the Yarrow Water. This river flows east from the loch and eventually joins another river called the Ettrick Water, near Selkirk.
Loch of the Lowes and Tibbie Shiel's Inn
St Mary's Loch is connected by a short river section to another smaller loch called the Loch of the Lowes. This second loch is just to the south. Between the two lochs, you'll find an old arched bridge. Next to this bridge is Tibbie Shiel's Inn. This inn was built in the 1700s and used to be a place where coaches would stop for travelers.
A famous Scottish poet named James Hogg (1770–1835) often visited Tibbie Shiel's Inn. Today, the inn still works as a pub and a hotel. You can even see a statue of James Hogg across from the road that leads to the inn.
Why the Name "St Mary's"?
The loch gets its name from a church that was once on its northern shore. This church was dedicated to St Mary. Now, only the old burial ground of the church can be seen. The deepest part of the loch is about 27 meters deep. Because steep hills surround the loch, the water is often very calm. This makes it a great place to see clear reflections of the sky and hills on the water's surface.
Walking Routes and Nearby Places
Two popular long-distance walking paths pass along the shores of St Mary's Loch. These are the Southern Upland Way and the Sir Walter Scott Way. If you walk along these paths, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery around the loch. A small village called Cappercleuch is located at the north-west corner of the loch.
Sports and Wildlife
St Mary's Loch is a good spot for outdoor activities.
Sailing
The St Mary's Loch Sailing Club (StMLSC) is located at the south end of the loch, near Tibbie Shiel's Inn. This club is part of the Royal Yachting Association, which helps people learn and enjoy sailing.
Fishing
The loch is home to several types of fish. You can find brown trout, pike, perch, and eels in both St Mary's Loch and its smaller neighbor, Loch of the Lowes. In the past, a type of fish called Arctic charr also lived in the loch. However, they disappeared before the mid-1700s, likely because too many were caught.
