Loch Awe
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Northern arm of Loch Awe from the flanks of Beinn a Bhuiridh. |
Loch Awe (
Scottish Gaelic:
Loch Obha) is a large body of water in
Argyll and Bute,
Scotland.
It is the third largest fresh water
loch in Scotland with a surface area of 38.5 square kilometres (14.9 square miles). It is the longest fresh water loch in Scotland, measuring 35 kilometres from end to end with an average width of 1 kilometre.
The loch runs approximately south-west to north-east, roughly parallel to the two sea lochs of
Loch Etive and
Loch Fyne. Via the
River Awe and Loch Etive it drains westward from its northern end and thus into the
Atlantic Ocean.
Loch Awe is the site of two hydroelectric projects. One is a conventional turbine power station, with water extracted from the River Awe at a barrage, fed through underground pipes, and generating electricity as it flows into Loch Etive. The second is a more unusual
pumped storage project, using a man-made loch in the hills above the loch; water is pumped up during times of surplus power, and used to power generators at times of peak demand. The second project, known as
Cruachan from the name of the hill above, has a visitor centre, which includes tours into the heart of the mountain.
Loch Awe is renowned for its trout fishing. Salmon pass through the loch, coming past the barrage in the River Awe and continuing into the River Orchy. Loch Awe contains several ruined castles on islands, and at the northern end has one of the most photographed castles in scotland,
Kilchurn Castle, which in summer may be visited by a short boat trip. It was from Loch Awe and surrounding area that Clan
Campbell established itself as a powerful family.
The
A85 road and the
West Highland Line run along the northern bank of the loch, and the
A819 follows its banks for a short distance in the north-east. From there the single-track
B840 runs along the south-east bank of the loch for nearly its entire length before joining the
A816 a short distance north of
Kilmartin.
At the northern tip of the Loch, a station was build when the West Highland Line passed that way, and a large luxury hotel was created (Loch Awe Hotel, 1871). A village has grown up around the hotel, essentially running along the single strip defined by the A85 road. The village now includes
St Conan's Kirk, one of the most interesting pieces of Church architecture in Scotland. Confusingly, while the railway station is called Loch Awe, the village is contracted to
Lochawe.
*
The Loch Awe community web site*
Fishing-Argyll web site.
