WOODS, LOCHS, AND PASTURES 79 



by the sea of the great shingle bar at Druim Clach, 

 belonging to the highest of the raised beaches and now 

 forming the site of several of the most fertile crofts of 

 Kilchattan. It may be taken for granted, however, that 

 this did not occur after the submerged trees grew. The 

 lake must have been already formed when the trees grew 

 along its margin. The cause of the submergence of the trees 

 is extremely doubtful. As far as investigations have gone, 

 there is no evidence to show that they extend more than 

 a few feet below the surface, and it is possible that the 

 mere growth of peat at Kiloran might have closed up 

 the outlet and so submerged them. It is, however, well 

 to remember that a similar submergence of trees has 

 been proved in many Norwegian lakes in cases where 

 the level of the outlet of the lake cannot have changed, 

 and it is supposed that the forests grew at a time when 

 the climate was much drier and the level of the lake 

 consequently lower. Such may have easily been the case 

 with Loch Fada. 



Loch Sgoltaire is a triangular-shaped, islet-studded loch 

 about 26 acres in extent and lying at an elevation of 200 

 feet. The name is derived from the Gaelic Sgoilte (cleft), 

 in reference, doubtless, to the apparent cleavage of the 

 hills where the loch is situated. Evidently its origin is 

 totally different from that of Loch Fada, and the hollow in 

 which its waters now repose may very probably be due to 

 the scooping power, during glacial times, of the great ice- 

 sheet that passed westwards over Colonsay from the mainland. 

 The greatest depth (50-60 feet) is at the narrow apex towards 

 the north-east end. The bottom is generally rocky, and the 

 depth becomes less as the loch widens out westward. The 

 loch has a natural outlet at both ends, the water from the 

 east or Bealach-a-Mhuilinn end being formerly utilised for 

 driving a muileann-dubh, while the overflow water from the 

 west end provides the motive-power for the corn-mill at 



