THE FRESH- WATER LOCHS OF SCOTLAND. 169 



to 50 feet 76 acres 56 -5 per cent. 



50,, 100 45 33-4 



Over 100 , 14 . lO'l 



135 100-0 



The northern portion is one-third of a mile in length, with a 

 maximum breadth of a quarter of a mile and a mean breadth of one- 

 sixth of a mile. The area is about 40 acres, and it drains directly an 

 area of about 5 square miles, but, including the area draining into the 

 southern portion, the total drainage area is about 7| square miles. 

 Over 20 soundings were taken, the maximum depth observed being 59 

 feet. The volume of water is estimated at 43,274,000 cubic feet, and 

 the mean depth at 24 J feet. The floor of this portion of Lochan 

 Gainmheich is not so perfectly regular in conformation as that of the 

 southern portion. There is an isolated sounding of 27 feet opposite the 

 outflow, and within the 25 -feet area the bottom is slightly undulating ; 

 the maximum depth of 59 feet was observed about 120 yards from the 

 southern shore, and this was the only sounding exceeding 45 feet in 

 depth. 



Lochan Gainmheich was surveyed on September 10, 1902, the 

 surface of the water being 251*5 feet above sea-level; when levelled by 

 the Ordnance Survey officers on August 26, 1870, the elevation of the 

 lake-surface was 251'1 feet above the sea. The highest drift-mark seen 

 was 3-4 feet above the surface of the water on September 10, 1902. 



Temperature Observations. Temperature observations taken in the 

 deepest part of the loch at 4 p.m. on September 10, 1902, gave the 

 following results : 



Surface 55'5 Fahr. 



50 feet 55-3 



110 54-0 



Loch Skinaskink (see Plate XXXIX.). Loch Skinaskink (or 

 Shianas-kaig) is a large loch lying about 2J miles to the east of Enard 

 Bay, into which it drains by the river Polly. It is one of the most 

 interesting lochs visited by the Lake Survey, because of the extreme 

 irregularity both of its outline and of the conformation of the lake-floor. 

 So irregular is the outline of the loch that it has over 17 miles of 

 shore-line. It is a splendid trout loch, but preserved, and the islands 

 are covered with birch woods where deer are often found ; the largest 

 island is Eilean Mor, near the centre of the loch, and there are two 

 islands named Eilean Dubh, one near Eilean Mor in the centre of the 

 loch, and the other in the north-eastern arm. The ground to the west 

 and north of the loch is low, but to the east and south rise Cul Mor 

 (2700 feet), Cul Beag (2500 feet), and An Stac (2000 feet). There is a 



