

THE FRESH-NVATKK U>< Us OF SCOTLAND. 55 



was found to be 1153-4 feet above the level of the sea; it is thus one of 

 the most elevated of the larger Scottish lochs. It is known to anglers 

 as the home of large Salmo ferox, as well as of trout said to be equal 

 in quality to those of Loch Leven. It trends in a north-east and 

 south-west direction, and is broadest near the southern end, narrowing 

 gradually towards the northern end. It is over 14J miles in length, 

 and over one mile in maximum breadth; the mean breadth is about 

 half a mile, being 3J per cent, of the length. Its waters cover an area 

 of over 4600 acres (or nearly 1\ square miles), and it drains an area 

 seven times greater, or over 32,000 acres (nearly 50 J square miles). 

 The total number of soundings taken in Loch Ericht was 488, which 

 show that it is a comparatively deep loch, the greatest depth observed 

 being 512 feet. The mass of water contained in the loch is estimated at 

 38,027,000,000 cubic feet, and the mean depth at 189 feet, being 37 

 per cent, of the maximum depth. The length of the loch is 150 times 

 the maximum depth, and 405 times the mean depth. 



The deepest part of the loch is in the southern broader portion, 

 where, about 3 \ miles from the foot of the loch, there is a small central 

 depression, about one-third of a mile in length, and covering about 

 58 acres, in which the depths exceed 500 feet, the maximum being 

 512 feet. There are two 400-feet depressions, the larger, about three 

 miles in* length, reaching to about 1J miles from the southern end, 

 and enclosing the 500-feet depression. Separated by about a quarter 

 of a mile from the northern end of the large 400-feet depression is 

 the second smaller isolated depression, in which the maximum depth 

 is 410 feet. There are two 300-feet depressions, the larger in the 

 southern portion of the loch, the smaller in the northern portion. The 

 southern depression is over 4J miles in length, and encloses the deepest 

 water in the loch. The northern s^maller depression is under one mile in 

 length, with a maximum depth of 314 feet, and approaches to within 

 2J miles of the head of the loch. There are two 200-feet depressions; 

 the larger runs from within a mile of the southern end to more than 

 half-way towards the northern end, being over seven miles in extreme 

 length. It is separated from the northern 200-feet depression by an 

 interval of 2J miles, in which the depth varies from 127 to 194 feet. 

 The northern 200-feet depression is nearly 2| miles in length, approach- 

 ing to within about 1J miles from the northern end, and enclosing the 

 small northern 300-feet depression already mentioned. The 100-feet 

 depression is a continuous area extending from within less than half a 

 mile of the southern end to within less than a mile of the northern end, 

 and is about 13 J miles in total length. The 50-feet depression follows 

 approximately the contour of the loch. Opposite Loch Ericht Lodge 

 an isolated sounding of 44 feet was observed between the 50- and 100- 

 feet lines, and about H miles farther down, opposite the entrance of 

 the Allt Camus nan Cnamh, another isolated sounding of 20 feet jyas 

 taken, surrounded by deeper water. 



