198 BATHYMETRICAL SURVEY OF 



Loch Morar is fed by numerous small burns and streams, the largest 

 feeder being the Meoble river, which, issuing from Loch Beoraid, falls 

 in, after a course of about 3 miles, at " Camas Luinge," a bay on the 

 south shore. 



On the north shore, about 4J miles from the head of the loch, is a 

 large bay called " South Tarbet Bay," and here a narrow neck of land 

 about half a mile wide separates Loch Nevis from Loch Morar. A 

 track which runs up the north shore of Loch Morar to Tarbet on Loch 

 Nevis, crosses this neck of land by a narrow pass which rises to a height 

 of 200 feet. For a distance of about 6 miles from the west end, the 

 loch gradually narrows until a breadth of two-thirds of a mile is attained 

 a little to the east of Brinacory island on the north shore, then it 

 expands again to a breadth of over a mile opposite the entrance of the 

 Meoble river; gradually it narrows again until at its eastern end the 

 breadth is about one-third of a mile. 



For a long time Loch Ness bore the reputation of being the deepest 

 loch in Scotland, but in the year 1879 Mr. J. Y. Buchanan, F.K.S., 

 showed that Loch Morar contained depths of over 1000 feet, which 

 was deeper by several hundred feet than Loch Ness. In April, 1887, 

 Sir John Murray took a series of 18 soundings down the centre of the 

 loch, the greatest depth recorded being 1050 feet. In September of 

 the same year he again took 12 soundings at the deepest part of 

 the loch, the greatest depth obtained being 1026 feet. All these 

 soundings were taken by means of hempen-rope sounding-lines, as 

 well as those taken in 1892 by Dr. Thomas Scott, who recorded a 

 depth of 1020 feet. In June, 1896, Sir John Murray and the late Mr. 

 Fred. P. Pullar made a bathy metrical survey of the whole loch with 

 a wire-rope machine, but the chart they prepared was not published, 

 as it was found that the machine employed was untrustworthy. It was 

 therefore resolved to make a completely new survey. This was carried 

 out in June and July, 1902. Since that date the loch has been 

 frequently visited by members of the Lake Survey staff for the purpose 

 of taking temperatures and making biological observations. 



The surface of the loch at the time the survey was made, in June, 

 1902, was 30-5 feet above sea-level, and in March, 1903, the level was 

 found to be 35 feet above the sea a difference in level of 4J feet. 

 Altogether 1100 soundings were taken in the loch, or about 100 

 soundings to the square mile; the maximum depth recorded was 1017 

 feet. This is less than previous results, but is to be accounted for by 

 the use of wire rope, which nearly always gives a lesser depth than 

 the soundings with ordinary sounding-lines. The general results are 

 set forth on the accompanying map of the loch, with various cross- 

 sections. 



Loch Morar is of simple conformation, the bottom falling on all sides 

 down to the deepest part, but with here and there a few minor undula- 



