THE FRESH-WATER LOCHS OF SCOTLAND. 195 



LOCHS OF THE MORAR, BASIN. 



THREE lochs lying in the basin of the river Morar were surveyed 

 viz., Loch Morar, Loch Beoraid, and Loch an Nostarie. There are 

 a number of other small lochs in this catchment-basin, but as there 

 were no boats on them they could not be surveyed. Loch Morar is the 

 principal loch in the basin, and it gives great interest to the whole 

 area from the fact that it is not only the deepest lake in Scotland, but 

 in the British Islands ; indeed, the bottom of this loch forms the deepest 

 hole in the continental plateau on which our islands are situated. 



From the accompanying sketch-map (Fig. 32), it will be seen that 

 Lochs Morar and Beoraid are parallel to each other, and run in an east- 

 and-west direction. The overflow from Loch Beoraid, which lies about 

 3 miles to the south of Loch Morar, enters Loch Morar about its centre 

 by the river Meoble, while the overflow from Loch an Nostarie, which 

 lies to the north, enters Loch Morar at its western end by the river 

 Loin. 



The west end of Loch Morar is only about 500 or 600 yards from 

 the sea, and its outflow is by the river Morar, which in its course falls 

 over a rocky barrier, at the foot of which is a famous salmon pool. 



The total drainage area of the Morar basin is calculated at 42,000 

 acres, or over 65J square miles. The whole region is rocky and 

 mountainous. The district has not yet been mapped by the Geological 

 Survey, but it is believed that the whole basin lies entirely in the 

 crystalline schists of the Moine series of the Geological Survey, the 

 main strike being north-north-east to south -south-west. The rocks 

 seen at the barrier at the mouth of the loch are composed of hard 

 quartzose flagstones or siliceous Moine schists. The direction of the 

 hills at the belt which separates Loch Morar from the sea agrees 

 generally with the strike of the rocks. Lochs Morar and Beoraid 

 occupy true rock-basins, but it seems almost certain that the outlet 

 of Loch Morar was at one time to the south-west, because the col 

 there does not rise more than 100 feet above the sea, and there is a 

 narrow belt of comparatively flat ground running southwards towards 

 the source of the burn called Allt Cam Carach. It will be observed, 



