THE SHIEL DISTRICT 335 



a transverse line of erosion which runs right across from Fort- 

 William to the western sea at Arisaig, by Lochiel (sea) on the 

 east, Loch Eilt in the centre, and Loch Ailort (sea) on the west. 



The long upper part of the loch is deep, the shorter section, 

 between the narrows and Acharacle, is shallow, but the floor 

 of the loch, as revealed by the Bathy metrical Survey of Sir 

 John Murray and Mr. Laurence Pullar, is very irregular. The 

 greatest depth found was 420 feet, about four miles from the 

 head of the loch, but there are two depressions of more than 

 400 feet, the second and smaller one being still nearer to the 

 head of the loch. The foot of the loch, on the other hand, is 

 extremely shallow, being little more than 1 foot at the outlet, 

 and deepening slowly for 3 miles till the 50 feet line is 

 reached off Langal. Thereafter, as far as the narrows, the 

 50 feet line takes a sinuous outline in conformity with the 

 shore and approximately in mid-channel. Only at one small 

 spot in this distance do the soundings reach a little over 100 

 feet, off Rudha Leatham. In the many bays and round the 

 islands the water is fairly shallow. The mean depth of the 

 whole loch is stated to be 81| feet. " Loch Shiel was surveyed 

 on July 2 to 9, 1902. The elevation of the lake surface above 

 the sea was determined by levelling from bench-mark as being 

 11 -4 feet ; when levelled by the officers of the Ordnance Survey 

 on November 6, 1897, the elevation was found to be 12 feet 

 above sea-level. The water may rise 4 to 5 feet higher than 

 the level given above." J 



The public have very considerable facilities for fishing Loch 

 Shiel, although some points are not very easy to reach. " The 

 Stage House " at Glenfinnan is now, of course, on the railway 

 line, and the head of the loch is best for fishing in the early part 

 of the season when salmon are fairly numerous (20-30 salmon 

 and 200-700 sea-trout). The Strontian Hotel has a boat, 

 but is rather far from the loch. The favourite places are Loch 

 Shiel Hotel, built in recent years for the benefit of anglers, and 

 overlooking the foot of the loch, and Ardshealach House, 

 which, I understand, is made available in the same way. The 

 shootings are rented by Lord Howard of Glossop, as they 

 adjoin his own property of Dorlin at the mouth of the river. 

 Great advantage in reaching this district, and for the transport 

 1 The Geographical Journal, xxv., No. 3, p. 271. 



